Fight It All Away
by YouThinkYouNoeMe
Summary: Sequel to Bleeding Hearts... After the causes of pain disappear, it's finally time to move on. But are they really gone for good, and what other battles will come their way? Cast: Edge, Christian, StephShaneVince McMahon,HHH, Jericho, Lita, more!
1. Default Chapter

A/N: This story is a sequel to Bleeding Hearts.  I strongly suggest you read that first before starting this story!  Also, a few notes about this story: It takes place in the near future, starting in January of 2004, Edge never had a neck injury, and there is no roster split.

PART ONE

6 MONTHS LATER

Britney and Stephanie sat in Steph and Jay's hotel room, leafing though a wedding magazine.  Britney and Adam's wedding was less than four months away, so they really needed to kick the final planning touches into gear.  Britney had thought of the idea of hiring a planner, but Stephanie advised her not to go that way.  She suggested she talk to Terri, who had been married twice.  Terri had said it would be better for her not to go with a planner, seeing as how she didn't really need to work on a budget, and that way she could do things the way she _really_ wanted them done.  Britney finally gave in, and she and Stephanie, along with some help from Linda and Adam's mother Judy, did nearly all of the planning for the wedding, while Vince agreed to pay for it.

"So, did you ever narrow down the wedding party?" Stephanie asked curiously.  Britney turned the page of the magazine, nodding.

"Yeah, I was thinking maybe twelve people… maid of honor and best man, and then five bridesmaids and five groomsmen," Britney replied.

"And who are they going to be?" she asked.  Closing the magazine and placing it on the table across from them, Britney looked up at her cousin.

"You and Jay as best man and maid of honor, obviously," she said grinning.  "Then for the bridesmaids, Amy, Trish, Chris's wife Jess, Trish and my friend from home, Nicole.  Then," she said, taking a deep breath as Stephanie grinned at her.  "I talked to Adam about groomsmen, and he said Shane, Chris, Terry, Matt and Jeff."

"Cool.  Aww, that's so sweet that he wanted Shane to be in the wedding," Stephanie noted fondly.

"Yeah… I guess after all they went through last year they just grew really close.  I thought it was sweet too," Britney replied.

"Okay, back to the wedding stuff… what do you think of these centerpieces?" Stephanie asked suddenly, grabbing the magazine and opening it up to the page she had marked earlier.  As the maid of honor, Stephanie had helped Britney with tons of the planning work going into the wedding.

"Wow, they're really pretty… but at this point, I'm thinking everything's pretty.  I just want to get the planning over with," Britney said.  While she was beyond excited that she was getting married, it was a very tedious, time and energy consuming thing to plan.  Everything had to be perfect.

"Yeah, I know… it'll all be done soon," Stephanie insisted as Britney laid back tiredly on the couch.

"I hope so," she said.  She closed her eyes, envisioning what her big day would be like.

Even though the planning was starting to get on her nerves, Britney could not be more excited about the upcoming wedding.  Any woman would be.  Not only was she getting married, but she was getting married to a man she was completely, totally in love with.  And he loved her back… that was still like a foreign concept to her.  Perhaps the best thing about marrying Adam now was that there was no one to interrupt or ruin it.  Paul was in jail without bail until his trial, which was still a few months away, and Brock was dead… they couldn't show up and they couldn't do anything to ruin the day which she would allow to be nothing less than perfect.  She sighed happily, thinking of how amazingly her life had turned around for the better.  She was going to get *married*, something she dreamed of since she was about seven.  She opened her eyes, looking over at Stephanie, who was still flipping through the magazine.  Suddenly, a thought of something she still had to do popped into her head.

"Shit… Steph, how am I going to tell Vince about Mark?" she asked, an uneasy feeling washing over her.  Stephanie sighed, closing the magazine and placing it down again.

"Britney, he'll understand.  He knows that he and you haven't really been close till this past year," she explained, placing a hand on her arm.  Sighing again, Britney shrugged.

"I hope so.  I don't want to hurt his feelings… I mean, he *is* paying for it," she commented.

"True," Stephanie replied.  "But Brit, you have to stop worrying about it.  He's not going to disown you or anything."

"You know what Steph?  You're right," Britney agreed, nodding as she looked over at her cousin.  The brunette smiled, causing Britney to automatically return her grin.

"Aren't you so excited?" Stephanie asked, eyeing Britney eagerly.  Britney's grin widened immediately.

"Of course," she said, in disbelief that her cousin would even _ask_ such a question.

"I thought so.  As it gets closer and closer, I get more and more excited too," Stephanie added, grinning widely.  It was going to be great to finally see Britney get married, and to someone like Adam… it was wonderful.  Britney nodded, leaning back in her seat again.  She could feel the butterflies in her stomach already, but they weren't the nervous kind, they were the lovey-dovey kind, the kind that made her know she was doing the right thing.

"Yup… I can't wait."

THE NEXT DAY 

Britney stood in front of the door to Mark's hotel room, nervously hesitating knocking.  She wasn't nervous about Vince anymore, as she'd already talked to him about it, and he'd already told her he completely understood.  Now she was nervous about how Mark himself would react… he never had been one for 'mushy shit,' as he liked to put it.  Finally, she gave in, reaching up and knocking firmly on the door.  After waiting a moment, the door opened, and Britney looked up to see Mark standing in the doorway.

"Hey kid," he said, smiling as he saw her standing outside his door.  "What's up?"

"Um, can I come in and talk to you for a sec?" Britney requested, hoping he wasn't busy.

"Sure, come on in," he said, stepping out of the way and allowing her room to enter.  She walked in past him, and Mark eyed her curiously, wondering what she had come over to talk to him about.

"So, what's going on?" he asked, gesturing over to the couch for her to sit.  He grabbed a chair from the table in the room, flipping it around backwards and sitting on it.

"Well, I kind of wanted to ask you a question," Britney started, and Mark couldn't help but notice how nervously she was fumbling her hands.

"About what?" he asked, curiosity growing by the second.

"Well," Britney continued hesitantly, "it has to do with my wedding."  Mark raised an eyebrow.

"Really?  What about your wedding?"

"I, um… was wondering if maybe… well, you know you're like a father to me Mark.  Since my dad died, I haven't really had someone to play the father-figure role for me… except for you.  I was kind of hoping that you would… maybe walk me down the aisle?" she said hopefully, bringing her gaze back up to him.  Mark's jaw dropped, as he certainly hadn't expected those words to leave the young woman's mouth.

"Woah… you want _me_ to give you away?" he asked in amazement.  Britney sent him a confused look… she had never seen Mark look quite so… surprised… before.  Britney nodded, smiling at him almost timidly.

"It would mean a lot to me," she admitted.

"I, uh… wow, that… that means a lot to me Brit," he said, looking up to meet her blue eyes.

"So… does that mean you'll consider doing it?" she asked hopefully.  Mark looked at her seriously, before breaking out into a large grin.

"Of course I'll do it… it would be an honor," he said, smiling at her.  Britney also broke out into a wide grin, jumping up out of her seat and running over to him.  She threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.

"Thank you so much Mark… you have NO idea how happy that makes me," she said, kissing him on the cheek.  "I have to go, Steph and I still have a shit load of work to do."

Mark watched with a grin on his face as the young McMahon waved goodbye and exited out of her room.  He shook his head, gently touching the spot on his cheek where she had kissed him.  He was already so happy that Britney and Adam were getting married, and now that he had found out that he would be walking her down the aisle he was even more excited.  He stood up and pushed the chair back under the table, thinking of the upcoming wedding, and of all the planning Britney and Stephanie were going to have to do to prepare for the big day.

**Yay, sequel time!!!!  I hope you guys are ready!!!! Let me know what you think!**


	2. Part 2

PART TWO

FOUR MONTHS LATER- THE WEDDING DAY

Britney sat in the dressing room she was using at the gigantic church where her wedding was being held, her nerves completely wracked.  She was so anxious and excited and nervous and eager all at the same time that she couldn't stop shaking.

"Wow, Brit…" a young woman voiced as she stepped into the room.  Britney turned in her chair and grinned widely, seeing her best friend Nicole standing behind her in her baby blue bridesmaid dress.  "You look beautiful," she breathed, gasping as she eyed her childhood friend in her amazingly elegant wedding dress.  Britney's gown was low cut but tasteful and was embroidered with crystals down the front.  Her blonde hair, which was normally straight, had been slightly curled and piled on top of her head, with diamond clips spread throughout her hair. To sum it up, she looked beautiful.

"Thanks Nic," Britney replied, blushing slightly.  "You don't look to bad yourself."  Nicole smiled, looking down and eyeing the dress she was wearing, in the color that she had personally selected.

"Well, it's not important how I look, is it?  So… are you ready?" she asked, a huge grin spreading on her face.

"I hope so," Britney replied.

"What do you mean you hope so?  You know I can't let you walk down that aisle unless your REALLY ready.  Vince forked out a hell of a lot of money for this, and we've been planning for too long for this to…"

"Dude, chill out!  I'm ready… I've never been more ready for anything in my life," she insisted.  The door opened again, and the two girls turned to see the rest of the bridal party heading towards them.

"Hey!" they said, waving to Amy, Jessica, Trish, and Stephanie as they walked in.

"Hey Brit, hey Nic," they all replied, smiling at them.

"I have to say something," Stephanie said, clearing her throat.

"Don't get all mushy on me already, the wedding hasn't even started yet," Britney replied over her shoulder, thinking that her cousin would already be making a touching speech.

"Shut up, I'm not getting mushy.  I just wanted to say that," Stephanie said in a relatively quiet voice, then screaming at the top of her lungs, "I'm so fucking excited!"  The women all cheered in agreement.  Suddenly, they hushed when there was a knock on the door.

"Hey guys, I was just wondering if…"

"Adam!" Amy screamed upon hearing his voice.  "Get the fuck out!" she yelled, pushing him out the door and slamming it behind her.  Out in the hallway, the girls could hear her chewing him out.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!  Don't you know you're not supposed to see the bride until she comes down the aisle or it's bad luck?" she asked angrily, poking him in the chest with her index finger.  The next sound the girls heard was that of Adam cracking up.

"Okay, okay I'm leaving.  I just wanted to tell you that there's fifteen minutes left till we start," he said, tossing his hands in the air and walking away.  Amy shook her head, totally in disbelief that the Canadian would actually knock on the bride's dressing room door.  She sighed, turning and walking back into the room.  The women grabbed all their things and began to get ready, and a few minutes later, there was another knock on the door.

"Who is it?" Trish called, checking to make sure that Adam wasn't the one knocking on the door again.

"It's Mark," the deep voice on the other side of the door replied.  Jessica stepped forward, opening the door.

"Hey guys," she said, smiling and waving to the guys that were waiting.

"Let's go," Jay called, literally bouncing off the walls.  Chris peeked inside the room, eyeing Britney and Stephanie, who were still standing in the back of the room.  Turning to his wife, he rolled his eyes.

"Typical McMahon's… they always hold everything up," he joked, shaking his head.  Everyone began talking and laughing until Mark cleared his throat loudly, causing everyone to immediately silence themselves.

"Uh, I need to have a word with Brit," he requested, leaning in the doorframe as Jessica and Chris stepped out.

"Okay," they all said.  "We'll be waiting," Jeff called, walking off with the rest of the people.

"Um… big day," Mark said, almost nervously.  Britney smiled at him.

"Yeah it is," she commented, looking up at him.

"I, uh… I just want you to know that I'm really happy for you, and proud of everything you've become.  I was gonna wait to give this to you, but I noticed that you don't have one of these on so…"

He trailed off, handing her a long and slender box.  Britney took it from his hands, raising an eyebrow as she opened the box.  Her eyes widened and she gasped.  As she placed the top of the box on the table behind her, she pulled out a very beautiful, very expensive looking diamond necklace.  She held the necklace up between her fingers, examining it with amazement.

"Oh my God Mark," she breathed.  "What is this for?"

"Think of it as our wedding gift," he offered, shrugging.  "Here, let me help you."  Taking the tiny necklace into his large hands, Mark carefully clasped the necklace behind Britney's neck, letting it fall and rest on her neck.

"Mark… thank you so much," Britney said, feeling the tears fill her eyes already.

"No crying, at least not until the actual wedding ceremony starts," Mark said, shaking his head.  Wiping her eyes carefully, Britney nodded, looking up at him and smiling.

"Okay, I'm ready," she said.  Mark grinned, opening the door for her and leading her out.

"Let's go."

TEN MINUTES LATER 

Adam stood at the altar, his hands clenched together to prevent himself from shaking uncontrollably.  He was so nervous… not that he was making a mistake or anything like that, just that he was afraid he was going to trip over his own feet or something.  This was the most important day of his life, and he was *not* going to mess anything up.  He watched nervously as everyone began to settle down and face the front of the church.  He glanced out into the large crowd of people gathered for the ceremony.  As his eyes scanned the crowd of people, which included Terry, Stacy and Drew, Vince and Linda McMahon, Kurt and Karen Angle, and Rob among nearly 100 other guests, he locked eyes with his mother.  Her eyes were already glazed with tears as she smiled at him, her heart bursting with pride and joy that her baby boy had finally found happiness.  Adam's gaze drifted to the top of the aisle, where he saw his cousin Justin, the ring bearer, and Nicole's sister Brianne, the flower girl.  The two of them walked down the aisle, Brianne dropping tiny light blue flower petals along the way.  

After the two kids got to the top of the altar, the people in the wedding party began to assemble at the back of the aisle.  First Matt came out, his arm linked with Amy's, then Shane and Trish, then Jeff and Nicole, then Chris and Jessica, and then Jay and Stephanie.  When Jay took his spot beside Adam, he winked at him, sending him a reassuring glance.  The lifelong friends both inhaled deeply.  Then they heard the organ begin to play, and both of them straightened up.  Adam took another deep, shaky breath as he saw Mark and Britney beginning to head towards them.  He could feel his breath catch in his throat as she finally reached him and Mark stood behind her and lifted her veil back.  Breath taking was the only way to describe how she looked at the moment.  She smiled at him, taking a deep breath as she turned and stood next to him at the altar.

Throughout the ceremony, Adam felt his mind going in and out of focus.  Sometimes, particularly times like right now, he wished that wedding ceremonies weren't so long.  His knees felt watery, and he wanted more than anything in the world to jump right to the 'I do's.'  He didn't need to hear a long lecture about having someone through sickness and in health… he already knew he was never going to leave.  He started paying attention and he heard the priest ask if anyone objected to the wedding.  Adam's heart skipped a beat… he didn't expect anyone to speak up, but with the way their relationship went it wouldn't surprise him.  After the moment passed in silence, he breathed sigh of relief, listening to the priest go on.  Finally, it came time for the two of them to say their vows.  The priest turned to him, asking him all those questions that a priest asked someone when they got married.  Adam didn't bother paying attention until he heard him say, "…for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," he said, taking Britney's hand and sliding the wedding band onto her finger.  He brought his eyes up to hers, his heart skipping a beat when they locked eyes.  She smiled at him, her blue eyes filled with tears.  Then, the priest turned and faced Britney, addressing her with the same questions he'd asked Adam.

"Do you, Britney McMahon, take this man, Adam Copeland, to have and to hold, for better or worse, in sickness and in health, till death do you part, for as long as you both shall live?"

Britney grinned widely, looking up at Adam lovingly.  As she placed the ring on Adam's left hand, she suddenly began laughing.

"Duhh," she said jokingly, causing everyone in the church to laugh.  Shaking her head, she turned serious.  "I do."  The priest then smiled as he looked at the two newlyweds, and everyone cheered as he said his next words.

"Then, by the power vested in me, I know pronounce you husband and wife.  You may kiss the bride."

**Sorry it took so long for this chapter… I'm working on like a million fics right now.  Let me know what you think!! **


	3. Part 3

PART THREE

****

THE RECEPTION

Vince McMahon smiled proudly as he entered the catering hall that he had so carefully chosen as the site of Britney and Adam's reception.  The hall was enormous, and beautifully decorated.  Thankfully, the agency he had hired had appeared to set everything up exactly as his daughter and niece had explained it to him.  In fact, it looked pretty damn perfect.  _It better be perfect,_ he said to himself, thinking of the over 400,000 dollars he coughed up for the event.  It wasn't that he didn't have the money, but if he was going to spend it, he wanted everything to be set up the right way.

"It looks fabulous," a woman's voice commented.  Vince turned, grinning as he looked down at his wife Linda.  The two of them were certainly a more civilized couple than they appeared to be on television.

"It does," Vince agreed, nodding his head.  "It really does."

About twenty minutes later, all the guests, as well as all the people in the wedding party, had arrived.  There was a large buffet set out for everyone, and after all the people had settled down with their food, Jay stood.  He made a motion to the DJ, who brought a microphone over to him.  He smiled as he cleared his throat and looked out into the crowd of people.

"Excuse me," he spoke loudly into the mic.  Everyone quieted down, looking up at him.  "As the best man… and because I'm such a nice guy, I'd like to take a few minutes to make a little toast.  Adam," he said, turning to the groom.  "You are the true definition of a best friend.  We've literally been through everything together, and I wouldn't take any of it back for anything.  I don't want to wish you guys luck because I know you don't need it.  You really are an amazing person, and I love you for all you've done…"

"*Way* too much information there pal!" Chris interrupted suddenly, causing everyone in the room to burst out in laughter.  Jessica, who was sitting next to him, turned a deep shade of purple as she smacked her husband on the back of the head.  Chris rubbed the back of his head, shutting up immediately.

"If I could finish with_out_ an interruption," Jay continued on, shaking his head.  "I'm incredibly happy for both of you.  Britney, even though you're officially a Copeland now, you will always be my Ms. McMahon."  He paused and winked down at Britney, who in turn sent him a warm grin.  "You better take care of him… you know how useless he is without you.  Um… I guess that's it, so congratulations guys!" he concluded, raising his glass to everyone.  They all cheered, raising their glasses in a toast to the newly married couple.

A little while later, it was time for the first dance.  Everyone hushed down as the lights dimmed and Britney and Adam took their spot in the middle of the dance floor.  He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her in close as their song, 'I'll Be' by Edwin McCain.  At first, Britney didn't want to choose that song because it was an incredibly common wedding song and she wanted to be different, but in the end she chose it anyway because it was a great song, and it fit their relationship to a T.  After that song was over, they welcomed everyone onto the floor, but they didn't separate, staying wrapped up for the next song as well.  As the song played loudly through the hall, Adam looked down at his new wife, smiling as he spoke to her.

"So… what do you think?" he asked her.

"What do you mean what do I think?" she asked, sending him a curious and confused look.  Shaking his head, Adam laughed.

"What do you think of… of everything?"

"I think… I think I feel amazing.  I think I've never been so happy in my entire life, and I think that I don't want today to ever end," she said, smiling up at him genuinely.  Adam's grin widened.  Just as he was about to lower his head to kiss her, someone tapped him on the shoulder.  He turned around and Britney looked with him, seeing Jay and Stephanie standing next to each other.

"I'll trade my McMahon for your McMahon," Jay said, nudging Stephanie forward playfully.

"Fine, but I want mine back soon," Adam insisted, handing Britney over to him.  Jay laughed, nodding his head.

"Good, I don't want to keep her anyway.  Besides, I like my McMahon," he said, laughing again as Britney sent him an offended look.  "What?  You know I love you too."  She smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck as Stephanie stepped to the side with Adam and did the same.

"So," Jay continued.  "Do you feel Copelandized yet?"  Britney cracked up at Jay's new vocabulary.

"Copelandized?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Yes, Copelandized… it's in the dictionary.  It means, 'one who has been turned into or has been given the qualities of a Copeland.  Look it up when you get home," he suggested.

"You're too much Jay, you really are," Britney said, shaking her head.  She looked away from him, her eyes scanning the floor so she could see who was out there.  Adam was a few feet away from them, dancing and laughing with Stephanie, Nicole with Jeff, Matt with Amy, Vince with Linda, Shane with Marissa… and Chris with Rob.  Britney shook her head as he got Jay's attention and pointed over at the two.  All you had to do was get a few drinks in those two and they loved just about everybody.  The two of them were singing away as they danced… for two people who drank on a more regular basis than the rest of the wrestlers they sure couldn't hold their liquor.

After that song ended, Britney and Jay separated, and Britney began making her way around to the tables, talking with everyone and thanking them for coming.  She spent awhile at the table Nicole's family was sitting at… that had been like a second, well… a third home to her when she was younger, so it was great to see all of them again.  She spent some time with Adam and Jay's families, who were sitting at one huge table, before talking with the table Mark was sitting at with Karen, Kurt, Sara, Rob, Vince, and Linda.  She thanked Sara and Mark again for the necklace they had gotten her, and then she made her way back to the dance floor, where she remained for the rest of the night.  She and Stephanie always used to dance around Vince's house when they were younger, so the two of them were the last ones to leave the floor that night.  By the time Britney and Adam got home, she was exhausted.  She was glad that she had packed for their honeymoon, which they were leaving for the next morning, the day before.  As soon as she got to the bedroom, Britney passed out on the bed.  Adam shook his head, laughing as he moved her over so that she was actually laying down.  He didn't bother waking her… there would _plenty_ of time for fun during the next week.

LATER THAT NIGHT 

Stephanie sighed as she lay awake in bed.  It was really late… it had to be almost 3:30 in the morning.  She turned slightly to her side, looking at Jay as he breathed deeply.  He had fallen asleep almost immediately after returning home.  Stephanie was tired, but for some reason, she just couldn't sleep.  She was deep in thought about the night.  For some reason, she was feeling a little upset.  It wasn't that she didn't have fun… she had an amazing time, but it was just that.  The wedding and the reception was so much fun, and Britney and Adam looked so happy and so in love… she wanted to know when it would be her turn.  Seriously, the more the brunette thought about it, the more she wondered why she and Jay weren't married yet.  They had been together way longer than Britney and Adam had, so why was it that they got married first?  It wasn't that Stephanie was in a rush to wed Jay, but in all honesty… they had been together for over three years.  She thought wistfully back to the conversation she had with her boyfriend earlier in the night.

"What's wrong Steph?" Jay asked, sitting down in the chair next to his girlfriend.  She didn't look to be very happy, and he wanted to know why.  One minute she was out on the dance floor with Britney and Nicole, the next she was sitting at a table alone in the back of the room.

_"Nothing Jay," Stephanie replied distractedly._

_"Bullshit," he shot back.  "Come on babe, what's going on?  Why did you sit down?"  His eyes softened when she looked up at him._

_"I'm really fine Jay, I'm just tired," she insisted._

_"Are you sure?" he asked, wanting to be totally sure she was okay before he left her._

_"I'm sure.  I just… I wanted to sit back and watch the wedding… it's been such an amazing day," she admitted.  Jay raised an eyebrow at her comment, but shrugged it off._

_"It has been amazing.  It was an awesome wedding," Jay agreed, nodding._

_"I can't wait for our wedding day," she said, her mind drifting to her own fairy tale wedding, one that matched Britney's perfect day._

_"We aren't getting married," Jay said jokingly, patting her on the shoulder._

_"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Stephanie cried, shooting him a look._

_"Steph, chill, I was kidding!  I just don't think we need to get married now, that's all," he said honestly, shrugging.  He didn't see what the big deal was about what he'd said.  He was only kidding.  Stephanie didn't seem to be amused by him.  She shook her head, standing and walking away from the table, leaving Jay behind to sigh after her._

Back in her bed, Stephanie sighed as well.  When *would* Jay crack and ask her to marry him?  She hated the way he said, "I don't think we need to get married now."  What the hell was that supposed to mean?  Didn't he *want* to marry her?  She felt tears pressing at her eyes, but she pushed them back… she refused to let herself cry over this.  But if Jay didn't do something about their relationship soon, she wasn't sure if she could stay around.

**Next chapter!  LOL, I'm starting my drama now.  You know I can't go long without it!!!  Let me know what you think!!**


	4. Part 4

PART FOUR

****

A WEEK LATER

Amy sat in the women's locker room, listening to her headphones.  She reclined back in her seat, staring up at the white ceiling as the music blared into her ears.  As she got bored and went to switch CDs, she heard the door open.  She looked up, grinning when she saw Dawn Marie enter the room.  The brunette sent her a tired smile, dropping her bag on the floor and plopping down on the couch.  She laid back, kicking her feet up onto the couch as she did so.  She sighed loudly, placing her hand on her forehead, as if she were shielding her eyes from the light.

"Hey Dawn," Amy said, raising an eyebrow at her.  "What's wrong?"  Dawn lifted her head up, looking over at the redhead.

"Me? Oh, nothing's wrong, I'm just tired.  I only got four hours sleep last night before I had to get up and get to the airport… I'm exhausted," she replied, laying her head back down.

"Ohh," Amy nodded, settling back into her seat.

"So," Dawn went on.  "What's up?"

Shrugging, the diva responded, "Nothing at all.  I live a very boring life Dawn."  Dawn laughed, shaking her head.

"Now Ames, you know better than anyone that this life is far from boring," she scolded jokingly, shaking a finger at her.  Amy nodded, and then she grinned, suddenly remembering what day it was.

"Hey, Britney and Adam come back today," she noted excitedly, glancing over at Dawn to see her reaction.

"Really?" Dawn asked, sitting up slightly so she could see her friend.  When Amy nodded, she grinned and went on.  "That's awesome… I want to know how their little honeymoon went.  I hope they had a good time."

"Please," Amy said, rolling her eyes playfully.  "The two of them were alone for a whole week, with none of us to interrupt or bother them.  It's safe to say that they had a *great* time."

The two women laughed, and after a while they switched the subject.  They began to talk about the show that night, among other things… anything to pass the time.  The long hours before a show started could be boring as hell sometimes.  Both women had gotten there fairly early, so there still wasn't that many people there.  About fifteen minutes later, the locker room door opened, and a blonde haired woman entered the room.

"Hey!" Amy and Dawn called excitedly, waving to Britney as she stepped into the locker room for the first time in over a week.  She smiled, dropping her bag in the corner of the room and greeting each of the two divas with a hug.

"Hey," she said cheerily, picking Dawn's legs up and tossing them off the couch so she could sit down.  Once she was seated she tossed her cell phone onto the table next to the couch, and Dawn picked her legs back up, plopping them on top of Britney's and laughing at the face she made at her.

"So…" the brunette woman drawled, raising her eyebrows curiously.  "How was it?"

"It was great," she replied happily, her blue eyes going distant for a moment as she recalled the previous week.  Amy noticed the faraway look in her friend's eyes, and she shook her head, laughing softly.  She supposed that look meant that she and Adam had a good time.  The two of them were so in love that sometimes it was just sickening.  Dawn reached her hand out, snapping her fingers in front of Britney's face.  The blonde woman jumped slightly, shaking her and head and snapping herself out of the daze she was in.

"Huh?  Oh, sorry," she replied, laughing sheepishly as her cheeks turned to a faint pink.

"You look tired," Amy observed, noticing the faint circles under her eyes.

"I am… I'm exhausted," she replied.  Dawn's eyes widened slightly, a sly grin forming on her face.

"Adam kept you up a lot didn't he?" she asked.  In response, Britney smacked her on the leg, shaking her head.

"Oh, just admit it.  He refused to let you sleep… and you liked it," Amy added.  Britney sighed, laughing as she tossed her hands in the air.

"Just to satisfy you, he kept me up the whole week and I yes, I liked it," she admitted, rolling her eyes emphatically.  Just then, a cell phone rang, and Britney reached over onto the table and picked hers up, recognizing the ring tone.  She answered the call, immediately recognizing the voice.

"Hey Nic," she called into the phone, smiling.

"HEY NIC!" Amy and Dawn screamed.  From the other end of the line, Nicole laughed.

"Hey guys!" she called back, satisfying the two former ECW employees.  "So Brit… would you like to tell me how everything went?"

"Why do I get the feeling I have to tell you even if I don't want to?" Britney asked, laughing.

"Cause you do," Nicole replied matter-of-factly.

"Well," Britney sighed.  "It was fun… it was awesome actually.  And very relaxing."

"Bullshit," Nicole shot back.  "You know you didn't sleep the whole time you were gone."  Britney shook her head, laughing as she got the feeling she had already had this conversation once today.

"You sound like Amy and Dawn, leave me alone!" Britney cried, pouting playfully.

"Oh fine… I have to get back to work anyway.  I just wanted to say hi and see if you had fun… otherwise I'd have had to beat Adam up," she said.  Britney grinned at the thought of her childhood friend beating up her husband.

"Okay… and I did have fun, and you don't need to beat Adam up.  I'll talk to you later," Britney said, ending the call.  She shut her phone off, pushing Dawn's legs off of her so she could stand.  She stretched for a moment, and then headed to the door.

"Where are you going?" Amy asked, wondering why Britney was leaving the room so soon after she had gotten there.

"I'm going to go find Adam, I'll be back soon," she told them, waving over her shoulder as she stepped out of the room and pulled the door shut behind her.

"God," Dawn breathed after the door was shut.  "They've been apart for what, two minutes, and she misses him already?"  Amy laughed, shrugging.

"I guess so…" she agreed, looking over at her.  "They're crazy, but you gotta love them."

TWO DAYS LATER 

Jay walked into the arena where Smackdown was being held, looking around for someone who could tell him where Stephanie was.  She hadn't gone to the house show the previous day, instead opting to head to the next city a day early so she could get some work done.  He had promised he'd come see her as soon as he got there, so that was what he was doing.  The Canadian just hoped that she wouldn't be as moody with him today as she'd been in the past week or so.  He still had no idea what was up with her, but hopefully the day they spent apart did her some good.  He strolled down the hallways, stopping at his locker room to drop off his bag.  Once he was inside, he saw Chris sitting on the bench, talking to Rob.

"Hey guys," Jay called, getting the two men's attention.

"Hey Jay," they both replied.

"What's up?" Rob asked, looking up at him.

"You guys wouldn't happen to know where Steph's office is would you?" he asked hopefully, tossing his bag onto the floor.  Rob shrugged, but Chris nodded.

"Yeah, it's all the way down the hall, the last door on the left," he responded, pointing in the direction Jay would have to go.

"Alright, thanks," Jay replied, patting Chris on the shoulder.  "I'll see you guys in a little bit."

He walked out the door and headed down the hall, passing by a few more doors on his way.  As he passed by the women's locker room door, which was open, he heard a voice.

"Jay!" Britney called, jumping up and stepping outside of the locker room to greet him.

"Hey kid," he nodded at her, grinning.  When he saw the somber look on her face, he frowned.  "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, but I think you should go see Steph," she said, looking up and meeting his brown eyes.

"I was just heading there… what's going on?  Is she okay?" he asked, starting to worry.  Shaking her head, Britney looked away.

"Just… just go in there, okay?" she requested, hoping he wouldn't ask any more questions.  Jay was still curious, but he gave up.

"Okay," he nodded, touching Britney gently on the arm before walking past her and down the hall.  He finally reached Stephanie's office, pushing the door open gently and walking in.

"Steph?" he called into the room, frowning when he saw her jump and spin her chair around so that she wasn't facing him.  She leaned down, pretending to search for something in her bag.

"Hi Jay," she said.  Jay raised an eyebrow… her voice sounded funny.  Raising a brow, Jay slowly walked over to her, resting his knuckles on her desk.

"What are you doing?" he asked, peering over the oak desk to try and get a glimpse of her.

"Nothing Jay… I'm just… I'm really busy right now.  Can you… can you come back later?" she asked, wincing as she sniffled mid sentence.  Jay leaned over the desk more, frowning again as she quickly turned away.

"Steph, don't try to hide from me.  What's wrong?" he asked, a look of genuine concern filling his deep brown eyes.  Sighing, Stephanie gave in, spinning her cushioned chair around so that she was facing him.  From there, Jay could plainly see the tears that had filled her now bloodshot eyes.  Upon seeing her, Jay jumped from where he was standing, quickly moving over to her and kneeling in front of her, placing his hands on her knees.

"I… I'm fine Jay, really," she said, though that far from reassured the Canadian.

"Steph?  Baby, what's wrong?" he asked, moving his right hand to cup her cheek.  She looked up at him, tears spilling down her cheeks.

"I… I have to show you something," she said, stifling a sob.  

With that, she reached down into her bag and pulled out an envelope.  She reached inside and pulled out a folded piece of paper.  Sniffling loudly, she handed the paper over to Jay, who carefully opened it and looked inside.  His eyes widened slightly as he scanned over the paper.  He suddenly realized what he was looking over… a subpoena for Stephanie to appear to testify at Paul Levesque's trial.

**Time for the drama!  You know I can't go long without it… let me know what you think!!!**


	5. Part 5

PART FIVE

A FEW NIGHTS LATER

_"Stephanie…"_

_Stephanie's head jolted up from the papers she was looking at when she heard a voice calling her name.  Her eyes darted around the room, but she saw nothing.  Shaking her head, she turned back to her work.  Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was in the room with her, and that they were watching her every move.  Eventually, however, she shook it off and got back to work.  She knew she was totally overloaded with paperwork to sort through, so she did as best as she could to put her paranoia behind her._

_"Stephanie…"_

_Stephanie's head snapped up again, and this time she dropped her papers to the desk.  What the hell was going on?  She suddenly wished that she had listened to Jay and left the arena with him earlier that night.  She had to be stubborn and insist on working alone at the arena.  She just knew that she wouldn't get any real work done had she gone back to the hotel with Jay.  _You're crazy Stephanie,_ she told herself.  No one was in the room with her… no one was even in the building.  She'd heard the last of the security guards leave nearly a half hour ago.  Once again, she put it off, thinking that in her lack of sleep she was beginning to hallucinate._

_"Stephanie… I know you hear me," the voice, which was now obviously male, called again, this time above the whisper it had been the past two times.  Now Stephanie was really starting to get freaked out._

_"Okay, so I hear you," she challenged, growing aggravated.  "Now what do you want?"  The brunette felt as though she were really losing it.  Damn it, all she had wanted to do was get a little work done, and she ended up sitting in her desk talking to the walls._

_"I think you know what I want."_

_Stephanie jumped up out of her seat upon hearing the voice answer, gathering her stuff up as quickly as possible.  That was it… she was getting the hell out of there.  She stuffed her papers into her bag, not even caring that some very important documents were being completely crumpled because of it.  She turned to step away from her desk, when she smacked into something, causing her to drop her bag to the floor._

_"Hi Steph."_

_Stephanie was now face to face with the source of the voice… she found herself in a stare down with Paul Levesque, the man who had raped her.  She screamed, turning and desperately trying to run away.  He smiled sadistically at her, giving her a head start… he knew he would catch up.  She ran to the door, tripping when the heel on her right shoe broke.  Her heels were not exactly the best pair of shoes to be wearing when running from a rapist.  By the time she regained her pace and got to the door, Paul had already caught up with her.  He pressed her against the door, pinning her to it roughly._

_"Don't try and get away Stephanie," he said gruffly.  "It won't work this time."_

_  
Acting purely on instinct, Stephanie brought her left foot – the one with the heel still attached – and rammed the back of her heel into his foot, causing him to yelp in pain.  She took advantage of the moment, pushing the door open and bursting into the hallway, running as fast as her shoes would allow her.  After awhile, she didn't hear any noises, so signs that anyone was still following her, so she slowed down her pace a little.  After a few more steps, she got up the courage to turn around and when she did… she screamed.  Paul was right behind her!  He had caught up to her and was beginning to chase her again.  Stephanie kept running and running, but it seemed as though the hallway never stopped.  As she searched desperately for any corner, turn, or even another room to hide into, she realized that there was none.  All that she could see in the endless and narrow hall was walls, and they seemed to be getting more and more narrow.  Stephanie screamed, wondering when the damn hallway would come to end… but it didn't.  She kept running, and running, and running…_

Stephanie eyes shot open as she jumped up in bed, suddenly feeling as though she couldn't breathe.  She gasped for breath, sucking in as much oxygen as she could possibly get.  Her eyes darted around her settings, and then she breathed an enormous sigh of relief.  She wasn't in a hallway, or even in an arena… she was back in her bed, and Jay was laying next to her, still asleep.  As her breathing returned to normal, and her heart stopped beating so fast, Stephanie laid back down, placing her hand over her forehead.  It had all been a dream.  Paul wasn't in the same room – or even in the same building as her – he was in jail, where he belonged.  Although Stephanie was incredibly relieved that her experience had only been a dream, she was beginning to feel worse than before…

This trial was going to be the hardest thing she ever had to do.

MEANWHILE

Britney sat awake in bed, resting her head against the headboard as she stared into the darkness of the bedroom.  She sighed loudly, the first noise she had made in almost two hours.  She hadn't gotten so much as a wink of sleep the entire night.  Deciding that there was no way she was getting to sleep, she figured she had to get out of the dark bedroom.  She glanced over at Adam, who was apparently sound asleep.  She carefully rose out of the bed, making sure not to stir him.  After being with him for well over a year, Britney had learned that he was an incredibly light sleeper, and that the slightest movement could bring him out of a deep sleep.  When she was standing, she turned back to him, checking to make sure he was still asleep.  Once she was sure he was out and wasn't waking up, Britney silently crept out of the bedroom, carefully pulling the door shut behind her.  She snuck down the stairs, heading into the kitchen, switching the light on as she stepped in the room.  Maybe a little food would help her settle down enough to get to sleep.  She peered over at the clock on the microwave, which read 3:48 A.M.  She sighed again as she made her way to the refrigerator, opening the door and looking around inside.  She searched for a few minutes, but then decided that she just wasn't hungry.  She turned off the light and headed into the living room, grabbing the remote for the television before settling down on one of the couches.  She switched the TV on, mindlessly flipping through the channels.  She sat like that for awhile, staring blankly at the screen.  Then, Britney got the feeling that she wasn't alone in the room anymore.  She turned on the couch, breathing a sigh that half out of relief when she saw Adam, who was standing in the doorway to the kitchen.

"Hi," she said, crossing her legs in front of her on the couch.

"Hey," he replied tiredly, making his way over to her.  He picked her up, sitting down on the couch and then resting her in his lap.  "What's wrong baby?" he asked as she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his collarbone.  He assumed that it was a possibility that she just couldn't sleep, but he was concerned nonetheless.

Shrugging, Britney replied, "I'm not sure really.  I… I think this whole trial thing is just bugging me.  I'm not exactly looking forward to it."  Adam nodded, taking her hand in his.

"I know you aren't Brit, but you have to do it for Steph," he told her, reminding her of why she'd even agreed to it in the first place.  Somehow, the police had found out that Paul Levesque had also attacked Britney, so they called her and asked if she too would testify at his trial, which was set for three weeks from today.  She didn't particularly want to do it, but the prosecuting attorney insisted that her testimony, on top of the testimonies from Stephanie McMahon, Vince McMahon, and Chris, who had been an eye witness to Britney's attack, would be plenty enough to nail Paul and put him behind bars for a long time, so she reluctantly agreed to it.

"I know Adam.  I'm just… nervous, I guess," she admitted.  "I don't want to mess anything up."

"As long as you tell the truth, there is nothing to mess up.  You just show up, tell them what happened, and then they're done," he said.  Britney wanted to believe that all she had to do was get up on the stand and tell her story, but she knew it wasn't true.  There was a whole defense team that would just be waiting to pounce on her and particularly Stephanie… it wasn't going to be as easy as Adam made it seem.

"But what if our testimonies aren't persuasive enough?" she asked worriedly.  "Then Paul won't get convicted and then what the hell would be the point of putting us through all that just so he can walk free?" Adam sighed, brushing a few strands of blonde hair out of her face.  He hugged Britney tightly, trying to come up with some kind of comforting response.

"Brit, don't worry about it.  He'll be convicted, I know it," he assured her, sending her a hopeful grin.  Britney returned the smile, but she just didn't feel as confident as her husband looked.

"Okay," she replied slowly.

"Good," Adam said, smiling.  "Now, let's go back upstairs.  Maybe you'll be able to get to sleep now that you've cleared your head a little."

Britney nodded and shifted off of him, standing up.  She grabbed his hand and pulled him up off the couch, keeping her hand locked with his as he led her up the stairs and back to bed.  Even once they were laying in bed, Britney couldn't get what Adam had said out of her mind. _"He'll be convicted, I know it."  _

For Stephanie's sake, she hoped he was right.

Sorry I took so long guys!  I've had this chapter written on paper forever, I just never got around to typing it.  Hope you enjoy it!!


	6. Part 6

PART SIX

****

TWO AND A HALF WEEKS LATER

Britney, Adam, Stephanie, and Jay all sat in the District Attorney's office with Britney and Stephanie's lawyer, Jonathan Irvin.  Jonathan wasn't required to be at the meeting, but he was very supportive of his two clients, and decided he would go for moral support.  All five people sat in complete silence as they waited for Diane Buchanan, Greenwich's District Attorney, to arrive at the building.  Mrs. Buchanan had called both Britney and Stephanie and asked to set up a meeting with them so that they could discuss the procedures of Paul Levesque's trial, which was in three days.  She had requested that they come alone, but the girls insisted that they would not show without Adam and Jay, so Mrs. Buchanan decided to allow it.  Adam glanced over at the clock, frowning as he noted that only three minutes had passed since the *last* time he had looked over at it.  The time they were spending waiting for the DA to show up was passing by at a painfully slow rate, and could tell already that the girls were getting antsy.  He shifted his gaze over to Britney, who at the same moment happened to be turning to face him.  The two of them locked eyes, and Britney sent him a tiny smile.  Adam returned the half grin, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her to him.  A few minutes later, the door opened, and Diane Buchanan stepped in.  She was a very professional looking women, dressed in a business suit, her hair pulled into a tight and neat bun.

"Sorry I'm late everyone," she said apologetically, dropping her briefcase on the table where Mr. Irvin stood.  "You wouldn't believe the traffic."  

"Funny, we drove through the same exact traffic, and *we* managed to get here on time," Jay mumbled under his breath.  Adam rolled his eyes, smacking Jay on the arm, sending him a condescending look.

"Don't worry about it Mrs. Buchanan," Adam insisted.  "Let's just get on with this meeting.  We have a flight in a few hours to our next show, and we can't miss it."  Diane nodded, reaching into her bag and pulling out the files on the Levesque case, her eyes scanning them quickly.

"Okay, let's get to it then.  The reason I called you girls in here was to discuss some ways to help you handle the upcoming trial and the cross examinations without breaking down," she said, her gaze fixed on the two women.

"Um, excuse me?" Britney piped up, sending her a questioning look.  "What exactly do you mean, help us handle the trial without breaking down?"

"Well, Ms. McMahon, I pretty much meant what I said.  You see, because there was no rape kit done when Stephanie was attacked, nor any physical evidence that you were attacked, Paul Levesque's conviction relies heavily on the testimonies of you two, along with Vince McMahon and Chris Irvine.  The defense is going to be well aware of that, and they're going to try and capitalize on the weakness that the trauma of the experiences has caused for you.  What you have to do is stay calm, stay poised, and stay strong.  Levesque's attorney is going to try and slowly break you down.  You can *not* let him get into your head.  I need you two to do your best to keep your cool.  The questions, especially for you Stephanie, will be extremely personal, but I have the utmost confidence that the two of you will be able to keep your composure," she explained.  Adam and Jay looked down at Britney and Stephanie and frowned.  Both of the women looked frightened, to say the least.

"Do you guys understand what you have to do?" Diane asked, eyeing the girls hopefully.  Neither one of them said anything, both of them simply locking their gaze on the floor. 

"Girls?" she asked, eyeing them with concern.

All of a sudden, Stephanie stood abruptly out of her chair, bolting from the room.  Moments after Stephanie was gone, Jay made a move to go after her, but Britney pushed him back into his seat.  Instead, she stood and quickly exited the room, jogging down the hall after her cousin.  Another moment later, Mr. Irvin was up and after his two clients, heading after them down the hall.  After the three people disappeared around a corner, Diane sighed, shaking her head sadly.  Jay rested his elbows on his knees, burying his face in his hands.  After a few moments of silence, Adam spoke up.

"Is there… is there anything we can do?  To make this a little easier for them?" he asked.  There had to be some way to take some of the pressure off of them.  Mrs. Buchanan shrugged, shaking her head sadly.

"I'm afraid there isn't."

THREE DAYS LATER – THE TRIAL 

Adam, Jay, and Shane McMahon entered the courthouse, searching the room for Chris, Vince, Stephanie, and Britney, for whom they came to give support.  They made their way to the front, meeting up with them and taking seats in the first row.  About fifteen minutes later, the bailiff instructed everyone to rise as the judge, Nancy McCullen, made her way to the stand.  As she was seated, there was some commotion coming from the other side of the room.    The people all turned, watching as the defendant made his way to the defense table.  There he was, Paul Levesque.  Stephanie couldn't hold back the gasp that escaped her lips as she saw him.  It was the first time she had so much as looked at him since she had that encounter with him at the hospital all those months ago.  Jay placed his hand on her knee in a comforting manner, doing his best to help calm her nerves.  Soon after, the opening statements were given, and the trial began.  The People had the opportunity of calling the first witness, and Mrs. Buchanan stepped up and called Britney to the stand.  The young woman took a deep breath, preparing to approach the stand.  Before she stood, Adam took her and in his, squeezing it gently.

"You can do it," he mouthed to her reassuringly.  Britney nodded and stepped out into the aisle, sending Shane a small smile as he patted her arm for good luck.

After she was seated at the stand, Diane began to question her.  Answering her questions were slightly easier than Britney had envisioned it being.  All she basically had to do was recount the events of Paul attacking her, as well as describing Stephanie's state when she showed up at their door after her rape.  It was by no means easy, but it certainly hadn't been as bad as Diane had made it seem like it would be.  Soon enough, she was done, and Paul's lawyer, Mr. David Sonessa, made his way over to cross-examine her.  As he was approaching the bench, Britney glanced over at Adam and Shane, both of whom nodded at her affirmatively, signaling to her that she was doing a good job.

"Ms. McMahon," Mr. Sonessa called, drawing Britney's attention back to him.  "You say you were attacked by my client in an arena, is that correct?"

"Yes," Britney nodded.

"Were there security guards in this arena?" he asked eyeing her questioningly.

"Yes," Britney repeated, sending him a slightly puzzled look.

"Tell me then, why didn't you go to the security guards right after you were attacked?  Wouldn't that have made more sense then waiting until after my client was arrested to reveal it?"

"I… I wasn't exactly thinking straight.  I-I don't know, I was upset," she answered truthfully.  Mr. Sonessa shook his head in disbelief.  He paused for a long moment, looking down at the floor before turning back to Britney with his next question.

"Ms. McMahon, isn't it true that you battled a cocaine addiction for nearly three years?" he asked, causing Britney's eyes to shoot open and Adam, Shane, and Jay to wince.

"Objection!" Diane cried, standing up.  "That has nothing to do with this trial!"

"Your Honor, please, I'm going somewhere with this, I assure you," he swore.  

Judge McCullen nodded, "You'd better get there fast… overruled."  Smiling, David turned back to Britney, who was sending him a very confused look.

"Ms. McMahon, isn't it also true that you were charged with perjury for lying on the stand during your testimony in the 1999 trial of Joseph McVeigh?" he questioned, leaning in closer to her.  From his seat at the defense table, Paul grinned widely.  Britney's jaw dropped at his question.

"Objection!  Your Honor, again, this has *nothing* to do with this trial!  Paul Levesque is the one who's actions should be questioned, not Britney's," Mrs. Buchanan said.  Her eyes still wide, Britney glanced out at the three members of her family.  Vince, Shane, and Stephanie, all looked equally as shocked as she felt.  How the hell did they find out about that?

"But… how did you… how do you know about that?" she asked incredulously, before Judge McCullen could reply to the objection.  That case had been closed since 2000… nobody was supposed to know about that.

"It's called research my dear," Mr. Sonessa replied plainly.  "Now, if you would kindly answer the question… were you, or were you not charged with perjury for lying during a murder trial?"

"Your Honor!" Diane screamed.  The judge shook her head.

"Britney, please answer the question.  Mr. Sonessa, your point better be showing up real quickly, or I will not hesitate to hold you in contempt," she said sternly.  Britney looked at the judge in shock… she had to answer?  Looking down in shame, Britney nodded.

"Yes," she answered quietly.  From the bench, Adam looked at his wife in shock.  Perjury?  A murder trial?  Why hadn't he heard any of this before?  "But the charges were dropped almost two weeks after I was given them!" she added quickly.

"Uh huh," Mr. Sonessa said dryly.  Then, he turned away from Britney and faced the jury.  "I'd like to point out to you all that this is Mr. Levesque's first run-in with the law.  What I need you to ask yourselves is who you're going to believe here.  This man who has no prior record, not so much as a scratch… or this woman, who has been arrested on charges of perjury, lying in court, and is also a recovering crack addict who…"

"Objection!  Your Honor, relevance!" Diane cried again, and this time, Mrs. McCullen stepped in.

"Sustained.  Mr. Sonessa, you've made your point.  Move on, now."  David nodded, putting his hands up in retreat as he stepped back to Britney.  Then, Diane left her table, heading up to Judge McCullen.

"Your Honor, can I please have a recess?" she requested politely.

"For what?" David challenged, folding his arms across his chest.  Ignoring him, Mrs. Buchanan explained herself.

"We weren't expecting that.  Mr. Sonessa gave us no warning that he would be using a trial against us that we didn't even know existed.  I need time to strategize," she said.  The judge eyed her skeptically for a moment.

"I normally wouldn't do this, but given the circumstances of this particular trial… you've got 90 minutes."

Nodding, Diane grabbed Britney and headed out of the courtroom.  As she passed by the others, she also grabbed Shane, Stephanie, Vince, and Adam.  She needed to know how Sonessa got that information.  She needed to know what the hell the murder trial, and subsequent perjury charges were all about.  Things certainly weren't going their way.  First, they had no solid evidence against Levesque.  There was nothing to prove that any attacks even happened… no rape kit, no hospital evaluations… nothing.  Now, the People's first witness had completely bombed.  Diane saw the suspicious look the jurors gave Britney after she admitted to being charged with perjury.  There was no doubt in her mind that they were no longer going to believe a word she said.  One of her most prominent witnesses was gone.   As if anything else could go wrong…

As much as she hated to admit it, the trial was going down the tubes.

**Hey everyone!!  I noticed that there weren't any reviews last chapter… =(  Are you still reading?!  LOL, please don't hesitate to let me know.  I even made this chapter a little longer for ya (trials are my thing… I'm a Law and Order buff).  Hope you like it!**


	7. Part 7

PART SEVEN

****

A FEW MINUTES LATER

The group stood outside the hallway, watching in silence as Diane talked to the county prosecute, who had arrived late.  As she finished up telling him what was going on, she turned and headed back to them.  All eyes then turned to Britney as she approached, sighing as she ran her fingers through her hair.

"Britney… why didn't you tell me about that?" she asked, sending the young woman a questioning look.  Adam glanced from Mrs. Buchanan and back to his wife, wondering the exact same thing.  Looking down at the floor, Britney waited a moment before answering.

"Well," she started hesitantly.  "I… I just didn't think it would show up here I guess.  I thought the case was dead and buried."  Pressing her hand to her forehead, Diane shook her head.

"Britney, I *told* you before that that the defense was going to do whatever they could to make you look bad!  You didn't think that this was bad?!  Why didn't you warn me?  I could have prepared something in response… you could have cost us the whole trial!"

"How the hell was I supposed to know they would remember something I *forgot* years ago?!" Britney yelled back.

"You just conveniently *forgot* that you *lied* on the stand?!" Diane cried back.

"Hey, back off!" Shane shot protectively, stepping up to Britney and wrapping his arm around her shoulder.  Of everyone in the entire room, he was probably the only person in the room who knew the entire story of what happened all those years ago.  "Look, she's human… she makes mistakes.  She made a mistake then and she made a mistake now… get off of her back about it.  You're supposed to be helping us, remember?"  Diane's gaze softened a bit, and she told herself to calm down.  She and Britney were on the same side, and with the way the trial was going, they couldn't afford to be bickering at each other.

"Okay, okay," she said, this time in a much quieter tone.  "I need to know if there's anything else that Paul or Mr. Sonessa could have found out about you two," she paused, gesturing to Vince and Stephanie, "that could have the same effect that that the facts brought up against Britney did."  Vince and his daughter exchanged glances, and then both of them slowly shook their heads.

"No, there isn't," Vince answered for both of them.

"Alright, good," Diane replied.  She paused for a minute, thinking back to something.  Raising an eyebrow, she turned back to Britney.  "You say the perjury charges were dropped?" she asked, to which Britney nodded.  "Why?"  Sending her a confused look, Britney answered truthfully.

"I-I gave the police information… for another case," she admitted.  

Because she was looking at Mrs. Buchanan, Britney didn't see the look her husband shot her.  Adam couldn't believe it.  In all the talks they had had about her past, Britney never mentioned *any* of this.  She just conveniently kept this obviously important part of life from him.  He began to wonder what else happened during her teenage years that he didn't know about.

"I just ask because if the charges were dropped they wouldn't show of your record.  Which makes me wonder… how did Sonessa find it?"  Suddenly, for the first time in practically the entire day, Stephanie spoke.

"Um… I may have had something to do with that," she said meekly, causing all of the heads to shoot in her direction.  "When Britney first came to the WWE, Paul and I had talks about her all the time… I may have mentioned something about that to him."  She looked down at the floor in shame… she should have known better than to trust him.

"Steph!" Britney and Shane cried at the same time.

"Why the hell would you do that?" Britney asked, glaring at her cousin in disbelief.

"I-I… I don't know Britney.  I'm sorry… I guess I never thought Paul would stab me in the back like that.  I never expected I'd be attending a trial like this," she offered, though she knew it wasn't a *real* explanation.  She didn't have one.

"That's great Steph," Shane said sarcastically.  "I TOLD you never to confide in that son of…"

"Alright guys, she's sorry," Diane cut in, watching as Vince wrapped his arm around Stephanie's shoulder.  "Now, lets just get back in there and finish up with the testimonies and get this trial over with.  We still have a chance at winning this, so lets go in there and do it.  Britney, I think it'd be best for you to sit for the rest."

They all started heading back into the courtroom, but Stephanie stayed a pace behind everyone, sending Mrs. Buchanan a funny look.  She thought back to what the older woman had just said.  _We still have a chance of winning this, so lets go in there and do it.  Britney, I think it'd be best for you to sit for the rest._  She was treating this trial as if it were some damn basketball game, and Britney had just gotten her last personal foul.  But it *wasn't* a game at all.  The outcome of this trial was the most important thing in her life at the moment.

If they didn't win, she would just die.

TWO HOURS LATER 

The trial was almost over.  After Britney's disaster on the stand – and the subsequent recess – Vince and Chris both took the stand.  Both men stayed remarkably calm as they were questioned, Chris about the attack on Britney and Vince about Paul's treatment of his daughter.  There was a brief pause as Chris was told to step down.  Stephanie's eyes glanced nervously around the courtroom.  She knew she was next.  She glanced at the back row of the room, noting that a few other WWE employees – Rob, Kurt Angle, Mark, Matt, Amy and Trish to be specific – had come to watch and root their friends on.  Stephanie suddenly found herself glad that her mother didn't show up.  Not that she didn't want her support, but she just didn't think there was any chance at all of her keeping her composure knowing she was there.  Her eyes moved back over, now resting on Jay.  He was staring at the floor, and the color had just about all drained from his face.  Stephanie frowned… he was just as nervous about this as he was.  Her heartbeat increased rapidly as she watched Diane stand at her table.  The brunette closed her eyes, fighting the tears already threatening them as she heard the statement she had been dreading since the beginning of the trial…

"Your Honor, the People call Stephanie McMahon."

Standing slowly, Stephanie gave herself a chance to steady on her watery knees before stepping out into the aisle and making her way to the stand.  She sat down, refusing to even pass a glance in Paul's direction.  She just couldn't.  She hadn't even looked at him yet and she could already feel his eyes boring into her.  She blinked back any traces of tears, taking a deep breath as Diane approached her.  Before she could speak, Stephanie shot a look past her, her eyes searching for Jay.  When she finally met his brown eyes, she breathed a sigh of relief.  She didn't think he was going to leave her or anything, but his presence had a calming effect on her, and she wanted to know where he was the whole time she was up there.  When he saw her looking at him, he sent her a tiny smile of reassurance.

"I love you," he mouthed to her, causing her to almost grin.  When Diane spoke, Stephanie shook her head and turned her attention back to her.

"Now Stephanie, I know that this is going to be very difficult for you to do, but I need for you to tell the jury what happened the night you were raped," she instructed softly.  

Stephanie took another breath, and then she slowly began recounting her story, starting from the very beginning, when Jay gave her the key to his parents' house.  As she went on, the details of the story got more and more graphic, and as she got into the actual rape itself, it became evident that she was having trouble getting it all out.  Tears began to slide down her cheeks and she started choking a little on her words.  Then, she made the biggest mistake in the world… she shot a glance in Paul's direction, immediately meeting his hazel eyes.  That did it… she lost it.  She stopped speaking, muffling a sob as she buried her face in her hands.  She sat like that, frozen, until she felt Diane's hand on her shoulder.  It was then that she looked up at the woman, recalling her words of advice earlier in the day.  

"When you're up on that stand Stephanie, remember that its just you and me.  Block out everyone else – your family, the judge and jury, the defense, and especially Paul.  It's just two women… you and me, one on one, having a conversation.  No one else is there."

Blinking a few times to clear the tears from her eyes, Stephanie took another deep, calming breath.  Then, she put on a brave face and finished her story.  When she was done, she couldn't help but give a tiny grin of satisfaction.  She did it.  She had told herself time and time again that she wouldn't be able to do it, that there was simply no way she would have the strength to tell such a personal story to a room full of strangers, but she did.  With a little support from her family and friends, she had done it.  All she could think of was how it was over…

She thought wrong.

"Your witness," Diane called, turning to the defense table.  

Shit… it wasn't over!  She followed Diane's gaze over to them, sending a confused as Paul, not Mr. Sonessa, stood.  He walked over to her slowly, staring her down with his eyes full of evil.  He stopped in front her, leaning down slightly as he rested his hands on the stand separating them.  Stephanie forced herself to look away from him, staring down at his hands.  Her gaze locked on his large hands, and she felt very uneasy with them resting right in front of her.  Those were the same hands that had punched, shoved, and manhandled her all that time ago.  She looked back up at him, her eyes full of terror.  Why wasn't anyone doing anything about him standing there?  Wasn't there some kind of rule against this?

"Hey!" a voice yelled suddenly, one that Stephanie immediately recognized as Jay's.  "Get him away from her!"  He jumped up out of his seat, preparing to jump over the barricade separating him from the trial area.  "Get him the fuck away from her!"

"Excuse me!" Judge McCullen yelled, smashing her gavel on her desk.  "Sir, sit down right now!  I don't want to see you – or hear any of that language – in my courtroom for the rest of this trial!   Be seated, or you will be removed from the court."  The bailiff approached Jay threateningly, but the blonde man withdrew, angrily plopping back down in his seat.

"Your Honor, I object to this… what does he think he's doing up there?" Diane cried, hoping that Jay's little interference wouldn't influence the judge's decision.

"He's defending himself, Your Honor," Mr. Sonessa replied for her.  "It's perfectly legal for a defendant to question the witnesses himself."  Mrs. McCullen eyed Paul suspiciously.  Finally, she made her decision, shaking her head.

"I know what you're trying to pull Mr. Sonessa, and I *don't* like it.  Mr. Levesque, sit down or you will be help in contempt of court.  That's the last thing you need on top of your charges.  Your attorney will do his job and ask the questions himself," she said decisively.  Mr. Sonessa eyed the judge angrily, but he didn't protest.

"Uh… the defense has no questions for this witness," he said, causing Diane to raise her eyebrow in shock.

The testimony part of the trial was almost over.  Now, everyone sat in their seats and waited for the jury as they made their decision.  It was a long, slow, and downright agonizing process for everyone, especially Stephanie and Jay.  Finally, after what seemed like eons of waiting, the jury returned, and one of the men remained standing as the rest sat.

"Have you made your decision?" Judge McCullen asked, hoping to God that they had.  The man stood firmly, gripping the front of the jury box so hard that his knuckles were turning white as he spoke.

"Yes Your Honor, we have."

**The cliffhangers begin!  LOL, they are my favorite ya know!  Hope you guys liked the chapter… remember, don't forget to review!!**


	8. Part 8

Part 8  
  
Judge McCullen eyed the head juror seriously, noddding at his statement. "On the charges of rape in the first degree and simple assault in the second, how do you find?" she asked, glancing down briefly at her papers.  
  
There was a hush in the courtroom, as everyone frlom the judge, to the lawyers, to the people in the stands anxiously awaited a response. Jay, Stpehanie, Adam, Shane, Chris and Vince all grabbed onto one another's arms, the two women closing their eyes. The time in between the judge's question and the head juror's response felt like days rather than the matter of seconds it actually was.  
  
"We find the defendant, Paul Levesque... guilty on all charges."  
  
As soon as his statement was released, the entire courtroom let out a huge breath of air. Paul and David Sonessa stood at their table, gaping at Judge McCullen in shock. They really thought that they had this thing won. While they continued to stare, Diane turned and grabbed Britney and Stephanie, wrapping both women into a tight hug. It was an extremely happy, heartwarming scene. Britney looked over at him, grinning in amazement as he pulled her to him and she could feel the goosebumps on his arm. It was perfect...  
  
Until Paul Levesque stood up from his seat.  
  
"Hey," he called, before the police came over to escort him out of the courthouse and into the awaiting police car. Mr. Sonessa saw Paul making a motion to speak, and he grabbed him by the arm.  
  
"Don't do that," he warned him. His client was already looking at serious jail time. He didn't need to piss off the judge any further. Paul ignored him, angry at the fact that no one could hear him over the commotion.  
  
"Hey!" he screamed, his deep voice bellowing throughout the courthouse. "This is bullshit! I don't belong in jail!" Everyone gasped, jumping in shock at his outburst.  
  
"But you *do* belong in jail Mr. Levesque, and if I have things my way you will be there for a long, long time," Mrs. McCullen said plainly, earning a grin from everyone in the first row. She then turned to the officers standing by the door, gesturing in Paul's direction. "Officers, please... take him away," she instructed.  
  
The two men gladly complied, more than happy to be sending the accomplice of a man who killed two of their coworkers to jail. They pulled Levesque's arms behind his back and cuffed him, leading him out the door and into the police car by the curb outside. Back in the courtroom, people were slowly beginning to file out. Adam stood back with Jay and watched as Britney and Stephanie finally seperated from each other after a long embrace. The two Canadians then turned and watched as Vince approached Shane, and the two men tentatively wrapped in a hug.  
  
"It's funny," a voice said, and Adam and Jay turned to see Chris standing behind them. "There has actually been some good coming from all this."  
  
Jay raised an eyerbrow, "What do you mean?"  
  
"Think about it," Chris said, keeping his gaze locked on the four individuals in front of him. "If none of this had happened, the four of them - Linda too - would still be at each other's throats." Adam and Jay nodded perceptively.  
  
Chris was absolutely right. All the fighting and constant bickering in the McMahon family had almost completely ceased since the problems with Brock Lesnar and Paul Levesque started. In a perverse sort of way, the Trial - and all the drama surrounding it - had been a blessing in disguise. A small smile crept to Adam's lips as he watched Vince, Stephanie, Shane and Britney join arms and lock in a tight embrace. For once, they looked united, loving, caring... like a family. Though they were at times dysfunctional, they were still a family, and it was times like this that reminded them of that. Maybe the trial *was* a blessing, a secret gift from God or something that reminded them of how lucky they were to have each other. Adam wasn't sure about that, but he did know one thing. This trial had done something that no human force had ever been able to do...  
  
It made the McMahons a family again.  
  
A WEEK LATER  
  
Britney pulled into the driveway of her and Adam's house, stopping the car and hopping out. She had just gotten back from lunch with Stephanie. The day of Paul's trial, the two of them had vowed to go out to lunch together at least once a month to catch up on each other's lives. One would think that since they lived only a short drive apart from one another they would spend loads of time together, but the truth of the matter was that their schedules just didn't allow it. They hardly had time to be by themselves, let alone with each other. They had come up with the lunch idea so that they could spend some quality time together, especially after the trial. It had taught them both just how valuable family really is, and neither one of them wanted to risk losing the other. Britney smiled as she thought of the time she had spent with Stephanie, and the nice conversation she had had with Vince on the phone earlier that morning. It was so nice to see her family finally getting along for a change. She stepped into the house, laughing quietly as she listened to the sounds of her heels clicking on the wooden floor of the living room.  
  
"Adam?" she called into the silent house, heading into the kitchen. She dropped her purse onto the table, raising her eyebrow when she got no response. He had still been asleep when she left, but there was no way he could still be in bed. It was normally *him* dragging her out of bed at noon, not the other way around. Still, she trudged up the steps, deciding to check the bedroom just in case.  
  
"Adam?" she called again, stepping into the bedroom. No Adam. A puzzled look crossing her face, Britney turned and headed back down the steps, searching for her husband. When she finally found him, she discovered that he was out on the patio, reading a book.  
  
"Hey baby," she said as she stepped out the back door. She frowned when he didn't respond, seemingly entranced by whatever he was reading. Britney shook her head. Him and his damn books. SIghing, she walked over to him and took the novel from his hand, tossing it onto the table in front of him. He finally glanced up at her, a slightly angry look in his green eyes.  
  
"What was that for?" he asked, locking his gaze on her.  
  
"I only called you about three times," Britney replied with a laugh. "What do I have to do to get a little attention around here?"  
  
Her smile faded when she saw the very unamused expression on his face. Her frown deepened when he ignored her, leaning over and picking up the book. He opened it back up, and proceeded to once again bury himself in it. Britney took one look at him and repeated her action, grabbing the book and tossing it again.  
  
"What the hell is your problem?" he asked crossly. Britney took a step back, eyeing him cautiously.  
  
"I don't have a problem. What's the matter with you?" she questioned, a semi-hurt look in her eyes. Adam sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly as he shrugged.  
  
"Nothing," he said flatly, seriously considering leaning over and picking up the book again. Britney let out a short, sarcastic snort.  
  
"Sure," she said. "Come on now, what's wrong?" she asked seriously. Looking her dead in the eye, Adam shook his head.  
  
"I just told you Britney, *nothing* is wrong," he replied, almost through gritted teeth. Britney stepped forward, cautiously leaning out and sitting on his lap.  
  
"Adam, please. Something's wrong, I know it. YOu have to tell me, that's not fair," she said, pressing her forehead to his. Much to her shock, Adam shoved her off of him, sending her to her feet and nearly knocking her off balance.  
  
"Oh, I see how it works now. *I* have to tell you every last thought and detail of my life and what goes through my mind, but *you* are allowed to leave major events of your life out of our discussions," he shot bitterly. Britney merely blinked, her eyes widened in surprise.  
  
"Adam, what are you talking about?" she asked, confused. The Canadian rolled his eyes melodramatically.  
  
"Damnit Britney, you know *exactly* what I'm talking about," he said. When she gave him nothing but a blank stare, Adam sighed again, continuing. "Do the words trial, murder, and perjury ring a bell?"  
  
Britney's stomach dropped. He remembered? She had been hoping and wishing with all her heart that he would just forget the day that she took the stand at Paul's trial, and forget all the information that his lawyer brought up against her. Like much of her past, it wasn't something she chose to elaborate on. It certainly wasn't something she looked forward to talking about.  
  
"I... I..."  
  
"Look, I'm not trying to be an asshole," he explained, noticing the fearful connotation on his face. "I just... I just want to know what happened, okay? I'm not going to pass judgement, or let this change my opinion of you in anyway... I just want to know. I think I deserve that much."  
  
Britney sighed, nodding in agreement. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. After all, they were married. They were supposed to be able to share everything with each other, whether it be good or bad. Taking a deep breath, Britney sat down on the edge of the table in front of him...  
  
"Well, here goes..." 


	9. Part 9

PART NINE

****

"Adam, what you have to understand is that I never meant of planned on any of this happening," Britney said.

Adam sighed, shaking his head. It wasn't a good sign of things to come if she was already making excuses for herself and she hadn't even begun telling the story. He sat back in his seat a little bit, eyeing her anxiously as he waited for her to continue.

"Okay, it basically happened like this. There was this guy - Joe - and he and I were pretty good friends. I met him one night at a party, when one of my friends bought pot off of him," she said honestly.

"Why am I not surprised that he was a drug dearler?" Adam asked dryly. Britney narrowed her eyes at him.

"You're the one who asked me to tell the story, Adam. Don't act like you don't know what type of people I hung out with. Now, are you going to keep making smartass comments, or can I explain what happened?" she shot back, her gaze somewhat angry. Adam sighed again, shaking his head.

"Sorry," he mumbled. "Go ahead."

"Okay, so anyway, me and this guy started talking and hanging out. He reminded me of myself in a way.... I mean, he was a good kid, just one that was steered in the wrong direction. I... I'm not trying to justify him selling weed or anything, but he didn't just do it for the hell of it. He didn't have the kind of money I did. His mom - who, by the way, is the sweetest woman in the world - had two jobs and she still barely made enough money to keep their house and put food on the table for him and his sisters," she explained, pausing to take a deep breath. Adam noted the break in her speech, and he seized the opportunity to speak.

"So that makes it okay?" he asked skeptically. "Just because the family had no money, that makes it alright for him to sell drugs? Lots of people have financial trouble, Brit, and not all of them sell drugs to make ends meat. They get *real* jobs." Britney scoffed at his comment, shaking her head quickly.

"Adam, he *did* have an actual job, but at 16, there isn't all that much available. He needed more money than that five dollar an hour wage teenagers normally receive would give him. That doesn't make him a bad person," she said, her voice raising slightly. She could see by the way this conversation was going that she was going to have to struggle not to lose her temper.

"No, it doesn't," Adam agreed. "But it does make him stupid."

As far as he was concerned, he didn't care if the kid was homeless. He shouldn't have been selling drugs. There was always other options, always other ways to get by until more money could be made legally. Britney shook her head again, sighing loudly.

"Of course it does Adam," she said sarcastically. Adam frowned, whishing that he felt guilty for his comments, but knowing that he didn't. Not at all. He gently placed his hand on top of hers, which was resting on her knee.

"All right, I'm sorry. Look, instead of worrying about how he made his money, just jump to the whole murder trial thing and explain that to me. That's what I really want to know about," he said. Britney glanced down, staring at his hand for a minute before speaking.

"We were at a party, and there was this guy there - his name was John, or Sean... to be honest, I didn't even know the guy - but him and Joe *despised* each other. I never really found out why, but there was some serious bad blood between them. Anyway, I really don't remember everything that happened that night, but the next morning, that guy was found dead, with pieces of a beer bottle stuck in his head. Whoever did it cleaned up the rest of the glass so there was nothing to get fingerprints off of. The police talked to some people, and after they heard about the problems Joe had with the guy, they busted him for it. Now, maybe my mind was a little screwed up at the time, but I *know* that Joe didn't do it. He couldn't kill somebody, there's just no way. So, I... I made up this story about how we were together the whole night. He... he didn't do it, Adam. But he needed to have an alibi," she explained. Adam eyed Britney silently for a moment, ultimately deciding that he wouldn't jump on her just yet.

"Okay..." he said, nodding for her to continue.

"So, I told the cops that he and I left the party together around ten to go to the store and get something to drink. I really did leave to go to a store, but I went with Stephanie, not him," she told him.

"And let me guess, the police went to the store and asked if you two had been there," Adam said knowingly.

"Well... yeah," Britney said, nodding tentatively. Adam shook his head, metting her eyes with a stern, almost fatherly gaze.

"Do you know how serious it is to lie on stand?" he questioned.

"I do now, but back then, Adam, I didn't think twice of it. My main concern was getting Joe out of trouble," she said honestly. Adam stared at her disbelief.

"Jesus Brit... you sure as hell are loyal," he said, and Britney swore she detected a hint of bitterness in his tone. Frowning, she stared at him with her deep blue eyes.

"Is that a bad thing?" she asked, a look of hurt crossing her features. Adam sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"No, not necessarily. But when your loyalty takes over your judgement, that's not good. I'm sure you and this guy were close, but lying in court for him was a big mistake. I'm sure you of all people would know that you have to look out for yourself... sometimes worrying about other people just isn't an option," he explained, pausing to glance up at her again. "Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Britney continued to stare at him, an uneasy feeling building slowly in her stomach.  There was something about this conversation - something in the way Adam was looking at her, the way he was speaking to her - that made her want to throw up. Here was her husband, somebody who she was supposed to feel comfortable discussing *any* issue with without worrying about being judged, and she felt as thought she were being reprimanded by her father. She looked up at him, an odd look in her eyes as she met his.

"Why are you talking to me like that?" she asked. Adam raised an eyebrow.

"Like what?"

"Like... like I'm twelve. I mean, I know what I did was wrong, I don't need the third degree about it," she pointed out, sitting back on the table.

"I know you do, Brit, I was just making sure that..."

"It's not your job to make sure!" she snapped, standing abruptly. "Look, I know you're only telling me this stuff because you care, but I know, okay? It was nearly 8 fucking *years* ago... it's a dead issue, one that doesn't need to be discussed anymore!"

"You say 'anymore' like we discuss it all the time! I never even knew it happened till that lawyer questioned you about it! It makes me wonder when I hear stuff like that," he said, standing as well. Narrowing her eyes at him, Britney took a step away from him, all of a sudden becoming too uneasy with how close they were.

"Makes you wonder what?" she asked testily. Sighing, the Canadian ran a hand through his hair. He knew what he was going to say was going to piss Britney off. Still, he knew that she needed to hear it from him.

"It just... it makes me wonder who you are. I still, two years after being with you, have no idea what went on in your life with the exception of what I've heard from Shane. It just makes me wonder if maybe he's covering for you, and that maybe there's a lot I don't know about you. And if that's the case, than I married someone that I don't know," he said, his tone just as hurt as his eyes appeared. 

Britney's mouth dropped at his comment. She felt anger boiling inside her, but tears welling up in her eyes at the same time. She had no idea whether to be angry at Adam for having the nerve to make that comment, or to be extremely upset because she knew he was right.

"Maybe you need some time to think about that," she said, turning on her heels and storming back into the house.

Adam considered going after her, but his feet stayed planted on the floor. He listened silently as he heard the sound of her footsteps trudging up the steps, and the sound of their bedroom door slamming shut. He sat down on the chair again, burying his face in his hands, having no clue what to do as he watched his marriage disintegrating before him.

I'm *so* sorry I took so long to update this guys!! I hope you're still with me… please let me know what you thought, and I promise to update sooner this time!


	10. Part 10

PART TEN 

A FEW WEEKS LATER

Stephanie sat at her large oak desk in her makeshift office in the backstage area of the arena. She was shifting through the scripts for the night's show, when she came across a note written on a small piece of yellow paper. She eyed the paper curiously, raising an eyebrow as she realized that the note was from Adam. It was attached to the portion of the script that involved him and Britney, and requested that he see her privately to discuss something. What surprised Stephanie the most about the note was that he specifically requested for them to speak about the direction of his and Britney's characters with_out_ Britney herself being present. Anxious to know what was going on, Stephanie pushed the script to the side, taking out her cell phone immediately. A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door, and Adam slowly made his way in. Stephanie examined him closely as he approached her, a funny feeling brewing in her stomach. Something about his presence - the waiver in his eyes, the slight hesitation in his step - made her uneasy.

"Hello Adam," she said quietly, her eyes still locked carefully on him. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"Well Steph, I know this is going to sound odd, but I wanted to talk to you about... well, about the idea of breaking Britney and I apart... on TV, that is," he said tentatively, resting his hands on his knees. Stephanie's eyes widened slightly as she fought to keep a straight face.

"E-excuse me?" she asked, staring at him in disbelief. "Are you serious?"

"Yes," he nodded. "I've done a lot of thinking, and I really believe that this could be a step in the direction of the two of us resolving our issues."

"Issues?" Stephanie questioned, though she knew exactly what Adam was referring to. "What issues?"

Adam shook his head solemnly. Stephanie could pretend to be oblivious till she turned blue, but she knew damn well what the issues were. Shifting in his chair, the Canadian cleared his throat with a cough.

"Come on Steph, you know what I'm talking about. Britney and I have been fighting non-stop for nearly three weeks now. I've got to do something," he explained.

"Adam, what on Earth makes you think separating the two of you on television is going to help anything?" she asked incredulously.

"I'm not sure, but it's worth a try isn't it? It'd at least give us a little time apart, a little individuality as opposed to the two of us being looked upon as a whole," Adam replied. He realized that his thinking on this may have been a little off, but at this point there wasn't many options open, and something *had* to be done.

"Have you even discussed this with Britney at all?" Stephanie asked. "Don't you think her feelings on this matter?" Adam nodded, running his hand through his hair before dropping it back to his knee.

"Of course they do, but with the way we've been going at each other I didn't even want to take the chance in asking her... our arguments have been *that* bad," he said. "Please Stephanie, I really think we need this."

Stephanie sighed, raking her red nails through her hair. This was going to be an extremely tough decision for her to make. As the head of the creative team, it was totally her call... the only problem with that was that she had absolutely no idea what to do. On one hand, there was the business aspect of it all Regardless of what their relationship was like now, the fans absolutely adored the two of them together. Because of how public all the drama and problems the two had with the late Brock Lesnar had been, the people felt very connected to the idea of Edge and Britney being a couple. Stephanie knew splitting them apart would not be a good business move, and her father always said that business came first, no matter how personal the situation. On the other hand, Britney and Adam's entire marriage could possibly be at stake, and if that was the case, Stephanie felt she owed it to them. Would it really be worth the money keeping them together would bring in if it was going to push them apart? Stephanie wished her decision was easier, but there was no denying how close she was to all of it, how much heart she had in both sides of the situation.

"Adam, I..." she began after finally making a decision. "I... I'm sorry, but I can't do that." 

Adam's heart dropped at her response. He had truly expected her to say yes. After all, she knew better than anyone how much it would mean to him. Now that she had denied his request, he didn't know what to do.

"Stephanie, please! If anyone can make this work, it's you. Please, you've got to do this for me," he begged, his green eyes pleading with hers. Resting her head in her hands, Stephanie shook her head.

"I know I *could* make it happen Adam, but it wouldn't be a smart move on my part. As much as I love you and Britney, I've got to do my job, and my job is to produce the best scripts possible for our programming. The people *want* to see you guys together. They feel a connection to you two like no other couple in our company has ever done before. Besides, they all *know* the two of you are married... pulling you apart will cause a lot of scrutiny," she explained to him. 

"You split Matt and Amy up," he responded in his defense, "and everyone knows they're still together. He even talks about her in his online commentaries."

"That's because the Matt and Lita storyline ran its course. You two still have a lot of unburned chemistry between you. On top of that, with the way you two have been received by the public, it'd be extremely difficult to turn just one of you heel in order to seperate you," she replied in a very business-like tone. "And Adam... I don't really want to be the one to say this, but if this is really your last hope, than the two of you have some very serious problems. I'm mean, you're sneaking behind her back to do something that in the long run may not even work."

Adam tightened the grip he had on his knees, fighting a losing battle to keep himself from shaking. He wasn't sure what it was that was causing him to be so jumpy - anger, despair, worry... all those feelings were racing rapidly through his system He had the most unbearable feeling of helplessness coursing through him.

"I know that Stephanie. You have no idea how all of this is making me feel. The fighting, the constant bickering between the two of us... it's all making me feel like absolute shit. I hate myself for some of things I find myself saying to her, but at the same time I feel like she's provoking me, and I'm sure she feels the same way. All I'm trying to do is salvage what's left of my marriage, and I'm lost. I have no idea what to do anymore," he replied hopelessly. 

Stephanie's gaze softened considerably, the pitiful look on Adam's face settling in and breaking her heart. Reaching across her desk, Stephanie extended her hand to him. Adam noticed and reached out, taking her hand in his, sighing as she eyed him with sincere concern.

"I'm not making any guarantees Adam, but I'll see what I can do."


	11. Part 11

PART ELEVEN

THE NEXT WEEK

Jay sat in the locker room he was sharing with some of the guys, thankful that nobody - especially Adam - was in there. He sighed loudly as he eyed the script in his hand for what had to be the eighth time since he had been handed it only a little while ago. His gaze traveled over the highlighted section again and again, pausing only when he heard a knock at the door. He glanced over, watching as the door swung open and Britney walked in. When she approached him, Jay noticed that she too held a script in her hand, the same passage highlighted.

"Hey," he said, holding his packet up in the air. "I, uh... I take it you've heard. Nodding, Britney sat down next to Jay, eyeing him a little worriedly.

"Yeah... what do you think?" she asked.

"I-I'm not sure," Jay replied with a shrug. "I mean, *I* don't have any real problems with is, and I'm sure *you* don't have a problem with it... with the exception of this one part, it's not a big deal, but..."

"Adam and Steph are going to flip," Britney finished.

Taking a deep breath, Jay nodded. He didn't understand how this segment could have slipped by Stephanie unnoticed. While the brunette wasn't responsible for writing the _entire _script, she *was* the last one to oversee it. She had the final say... so then why didn't she _say_ anything?

"What I want to know..." he spoke after a moment of thought, "...is who's bright idea this was"

"It was *my* bright idea," a third voice called. Both Britney and Jay whipped their heads around, their jaws dropping slightly when they saw Stephanie standing in the doorway.

"What?" Britney asked in disbelief, watching as her cousin stepped into the room, approaching them slowly.

"It was my idea," she repeated. "I was the one who wrote that segment."

"Steph..." Jay said, facing his girlfriend hesitantly. "Why?"

"Look, I just think it'd be for the best. We need to spice things up a bit, and I thought that this would be the best way to go. It's not necessarily something I personally like, but I did what I felt necessary," Stephanie explained, placing a hand on her waist. Britney frowned... something wasn't right.

"And you're okay with it?" she asked.

Nodding, Stephanie simply replied, "I wrote it, didn't I?"

With that, she regarded the two in what Britney determined to be a very executive manner, turning swiftly on her heel and heading back to the door. Shaking her head, Britney ignored the nauseas feeling in her stomach, calling out to Stephanie.

"You better be explaining this to Adam," she called. 

Tossing her head over her shoulder, Stephanie said nothing, exhaling deeply and walking away. When she was gone, Britney raked a nervous hand through her hair. Stephanie had been so calm, so casual about this whole thing... it didn't make sense. The basic storyline given to Britney and Jay was that Britney would turn heel on Adam, joining forces with - of all people - her husband's brother. Though it wasn't described in detail, it was noted that the relationship between Britney and Christian would become a very physical one, starting off with - as the script had put it - a "... long, passionate kiss while standing over top Edge's prone body." That was the part that really got Britney. She knew Stephanie like a book, and it was no secret that she was the extremely - borderline insanity - jealous type. Why would she allow, let alone _write_, a storyline putting her boyfriend with anyone, her cousin no less?

"I don't like this Jay," she said warily. "I can't kiss you... you're like my brother. On top of that, you're my cousin's boyfriend, and my husband's best friend. Think of how weird that will be."

"I know Brit, but do we really have a choice? It's set in stone, effective as of tonight," he replied.

"If there's anything I learned from growing up as a McMahon, it's that *nothing* is set in stone... things can change just like that," she said, snapping her finger. Then, she stood suddenly, standing in front of Jay. "I'm going to go talk to Vince... maybe I can work something out with him," she said, glancing down at Jay hopefully. He returned the gaze, offering her a small smile as well.

"Okay... good luck. Let me know what happens."

He watched Britney leave the room, frowning as he held the script up and read over it once more. He tossed the packet, the papers fluttering noisily as they fell to the ground. He leaned down, resting his elbows on his knees and meticulously rubbing his eyes, as though there was something stuck in the them. Breathing deeply, he sighed... something weird was going on, and he didn't in the least enjoy being left in the dark.

HALF AN HOUR LATER

Stepping out of Vince McMahon's office, Britney sighed yet again. She had been in there with her uncle for over twenty five minutes and hadn't accomplished a damn thing. She couldn't comprehend why, but *everybody* seemed to be for the idea of putting her and Jay together - except for the two of them. In a way, it was almost eerie. All of the people around them had seemingly transformed into robots of some sort, because there was no way they all would have gone for the proposed idea without flipping. Britney shook her head, getting the weirdest sensation that she was trapped in the twilight zone.

"You okay?" a voice called from behind, causing Britney to jump about a half of a mile. She turned and glanced over her shoulder, meeting the blue eyes of Chris Irvine.

"Yeah Chris, I'm fine," she replied absently, her tone doing anything but convincing him of that. She turned her back to him, taking only a step forward before Chris grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back to him.

"This storyline with Jay is really getting to you, isn't it?" he asked, eyeing her with great concern.

Britney arched her brow, puzzled by his question. Actually, it wasn't so much the question itsself that got her, but the fact that he knew about the angle. Chris had been given the night off in order to sell an injury, so he wouldn't have been handed a script.

"How do you know about that?" she questioned

Chris hesitated briefly before responding with, "Well... Adam told me."

"What?" Britney asked in disbelief. "He knows?"

Nodding, Chris took her by the arm, leading her away from Vince's door and to a secluded area of the hall.

"From what I understand, he not only knows about it, but he came up with it," he explained, his gaze traveling down the empty hall once before steadying on her. He watched her carefully, frowning as an expression of disappointment and hurt clouded her pretty face. "He requested the storyline, Britney."

"He told you this?" she asked, hoping that somehow, this was all a horrible misunderstanding.

"In his own words, and probably indirectly, but yes," Chris said, nodding. Britney shook her head, leaning up against the wall.

"Why didn't he at least talk to me about this before he went to Stephanie?" she asked to no one in particular. "Why did he have to go behind my back?"

"I don't know, Brit, but I may have something that'll make you feel a little better about things. What if we replaced Jay in that storyline with me? Maybe it'll ease the tension a little, and then you'll have a few more weeks to work things out with Adam while I'm recovering from my injury," he suggested. He jumped slightly as Britney gave him a short, loud laugh.

"Are you kidding? Chris, that would be even more awkward than me kissing Jay! You're my best friend... that'd be gross," she said, wrinkling her nose up and making a face. Chris took a step back, looking almost hurt for a second, before he too made a face.

"I guess you're right," he said, his expression going serious. Britney eyed him curiously.

"Aww, you're not offended, are you?" she asked, punching him playfully on the arm.

"No," Chris replied, suddenly turning away from her. "Not at all..."

He walked away, turning back to give her a reassuring wink, but Britney frowned. She didn't like what was going on at *all*. People left and right were going completely crazy on her. She shook her head as she turned in the opposite direction, not sure of where she was going to go, and worried over who she might bump into.

"What the hell is going on?"

**Hope your still reading!! I have to say that, with the help of my dear friend Maj, I've come up with about a million ideas for this story, so I really hope you'll stick around to find out!**


	12. Part 12

**PART 12**

LATER THAT NIGHT

Britney stood beside the ring, her hands resting on the apron as she watched the ongoing match in silence. Besides the occasional cheer or slap against the mat, she was unusually quiet. She hoped for the sake of the show that no one else noticed how out of it she was. She was still in shock, utter disbelief over what she and Jay were going to have to do in a few minutes, following this match he was having with Adam. She sighed distractedly, glancing up in the ring to see what was going on. She caught a glimpse of Adam, who had just nailed Jay with a spinning heel kick. Her gaze locked on him, and she frowned, wondering what in hell was going on in his mind. The two of them had barely spoken two words to each other since Britney found out about the change in storyline. It was so odd looking at him now... it was almost like the man she saw before wasn't her husband...

Britney winced and jumped back as Jay reversed a hold Adam had on him, flipping him right onto his back in front of her. He grabbed a hold of the ropes, struggling to pull himself up. As he slowly made his way to his feet, he glanced down at Britney, locking eyes with her. Almost as quickly as he had done so, his eyes darted away. He could see the disappointment in her eyes, and it made him want to stuff his boot in his mouth for even suggesting the idea to Stephanie. He knew it had to be done, though, and he continued on, shaking off the moment and focusing back on his match.

A few minutes later, Britney shifted out of her trance, noticing that Jay had slid out of the ring and headed over to the announcers table, approaching Lilian Garcia. He gestured for her to get up, yanking the steel chair up from underneath or her. He slid back in the ring, standing in a slightly crouched position as he eyed Adam, who was once again struggling to get to his feet. Jumping slightly, Britney made her way around to where Jay had just been standing, knowing that her cue was coming up.

Jay stood in the ring, listening in as the crowd jeered boos at him. He surveyed them slowly, giving them the cocky, malicious smirk that only Christian was capable of. Then, his gaze shifted as the boos slowly decreased and a chorus of slightly hesitant cheers rang through the arena. He turned around, meeting eyes with Britney, who was holding a steel chair of her own. Laughing arrogantly, he stepped towards her, eyeing her like a piece of meat. Britney's eyes widened just a little and she took a cautious step backwards, feeling around behind her for the ropes, as though she was preparing to make a run for it. Jay shook his head, turning away from her and back to Adam. 

He stepped up to him, kicking his 'brother' in the stomach. He lifted the chair above his head, in obvious preparation for a one man Con-chair-to. Britney moved closer, pulling the chair back herself, aiming directly for his back. She closed her eyes and swung, smiling to herself as she heard the familiar sound of metal smashing against skin. When she opened her eyes, Jay was still standing before her... she had missed him - her apparent target - and nailed Adam right in the head, nearly knocking him out cold. She looked up at Jay, her eyes widening again as she realized what she had done. Jay laughed loudly as he peered over what appeared to be an unconscious Edge. He stood to the side, watching as the Canadian slowly began to move, struggling to stand *again*. He swung his chair back, readying himself to nail his opponent in the head. It was then that he - as well as the people in the stands - noticed a change in Britney's eyes. One would think that nailing one's husband in the head would be an upsetting experience, but the look on Britney's face was telling otherwise. Instead of a look of shock, grief, or disappointment, she was smiling... a twisted smile, one that matched Christian's perfectly. He grinned back, the two of them lifting their chairs simultaneously, nailing Adam with a *real* Con-chair-to, the sound of his skull smashing between the steel sending a sickening thud throughout the arena.

Once Adam's body dropped to the mat, both Britney and Jay stepped over him, positioning themselves over his body, just as the script had said. They gazed at each other, grinning evilly as Jay swooped his head down and kissed her. Adam, who was laying on the ground beneath the two, cracked his eyes open slightly, watching the two. Maybe his head hurt more than he thought, but to him, Britney and Jay appeared to be enjoying themselves. He waited and waited, knowing damn well that their kiss was only *supposed* to last for a few seconds. Britney threw her arms around Jay's neck, pressing up against him as he drew his arms around her waist. The two went at it for a good minute, ignoring the crowd - which had gone from a state of total shock, to deafening boos in a matter of seconds. They didn't stop until they heard the sound of Adam, clearing his throat from the mat below them. They separated, both of their eyes widening as they looked at each other. Britney frowned, silently screaming at herself for doing what she had promised herself not to. She and Jay had kissed alright, just like the script had called for...

The only problem was that they just might have *enjoyed* it.

*                      *                      *                      *                      *

A few minutes later, Britney found herself storming to the locker room, an angered expression on her face, even though she had nothing to be angry over. If anything, she should have felt ashamed, and guilty nonetheless. She knew just as well as Jay did that they had crossed the professional boundary that had been carefully set for them. She could feel the tears just itching to well up her eyes, but she pushed them away. She sighed as she thought back to a few moments ago, when Adam caught up with them after he pushed through the curtain backstage.

"Hey!" he called to both her and Jay, quickly approaching them. "Hey... what was that?!" he demanded, placing his hands on his hips, his breathing still heavy from the match and from his running to catch up with them. Turning to face him, Jay regarded Adam with look that was almost bordering dislike.

"Just following the script, Adam... you know, the one you *asked* to be written!" he shot back, scowling at the man who was supposed to be his best friend. Rolling his eyes emphatically, Adam swatted the trainer, who had just approached him with an ice pack, away, glaring down at Jay.

"I did what I had to do," he replied through clenched teeth. "But nowhere in that script did it tell you to cop a feel on my wife!"

"Alright, so things got a little out of hand, but what the hell do you want from me? You cornered me with this fucking storyline, Adam! It's not like I had any time at all to prepare myself for it!" he cried in his defense.

"I *want* you to apologize," Adam replied lowly, "...to me, and to her."

Jay sighed, glancing back and forth between Adam and Britney. He was sorry alright, but the truth was that he wasn't sorry for getting carried away with Britney. If anything, his guilt was a result of his *not* feeling guilty for doing so. He didn't even care that he had basically made out with his best friend's wife - who also happened to be his girlfriend's cousin - right over top of him... that's how mad he was, how utterly furious he was for being shoved into this angle. Taking a step forward, Jay glared into Adam's eyes, getting right in his friend's face as he replied.

"Britney, I'm sorry that I disrespected you like that... I shouldn't have done that, and I really am sorry. As for you," he paused, pointing to Adam, "I refuse to apologize for something I'm not sorry for," he said coldly, before turning swiftly and storming away, leaving Britney and Adam alone. 

Britney watched as Jay slowly disappeared from them, exhaling carefully. She turned to her husband, opening her mouth to speak. She didn't get a single word out, as Adam silently placed his fingers on her lips.

"Save it Britney," he said.

He stared at her for a moment more, before shaking his head and giving up, walking away.


	13. Part 13

**PART 13**

Now, as Britney sauntered on down the hall, she found herself wanting to punch someone. No one in particular, just someone. She was experiencing a mix of emotions she hadn't felt in such a long time, and she absolutely hated it.

"Brit, wait up!"

At the sound of the familiar voice, Britney froze, spinning around to see Chris, jogging to catch up with her. She glanced at him carefully as he approached her, sending him a weak smile.

"Hey Chris," she said softly, regarding him with a nod. Despite her somewhat casual demeanor, Chris sensed the uneasiness she was feeling.

"Are you alright?" he asked, concern evident in his clear blue eyes. "I mean, I know you didn't want to go through with that out there, and I just..."

"Chris, I'm fine," she said, placing a hand up as though to silence him. Chris gave a short little snort, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Bullshit you are... you like like you're about two seconds away from crying. You don't have to put that tough facade on with me," he said in a tone bordering fatherly.

As soon as the words left his lips, the tears she had so valiantly been fighting managed to leak out, sliding down her cheeks as if on cue. She bit her lip, choking back the sob that was aching to be released from the bottom of her throat. She hadn't brought herself to tears around anyone in the longest time, months conceivably, and she had wanted it to stay that way. When Chris reached out for her, his touch gentle and sympathetic, she violently snatched away, turning her back to him so that he could not see her face. A frown marred the blonde man's handsome face, and his heart wrenched a bit at the sight. He hadn't seen Britney so distraught in months, and the the image of her in tears was very disheartening.

"Come on," he continued, his tone soft, yet pleading at the same time. He placed his hand on her arm again, relieved when she didn't pull away. "Just italk/i to me, please."

"I'm fine, Chris, I really am," she replied with a sniffle. "It's just that, well, all of this stuff is starting to get to me, ya know? The fighting with Adam, what just happened with Jay, and now I just *know* Stephanie's going to have something to say about it. I'm sick of the worrying, and I'm _sick_ of being the last to know everything."

His blue eyes quickly darted around the hall, checking to be sure no one - more specifically, Adam - was around. Then, he silently ushered her down in the hall, in the direction he'd come from, back to his locker room. Once they were inside, he closed the door behind him, leaning up against it.

"It's not working, is it?" he asked, watching as she walked across the room and took a seat on the leather sofa. Glancing up at him, Britney raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" she questioned. Chris hesitated for a minute, trying to think of a way to put his thoughts into words.

"Well, this storyline, your relationship with Adam... your marriage..." he voiced tentatively. Britney's head snapped up at his comment.

"What?" she asked in disbelief. "Chris, don't say that."

"Come on Britney, who are you kidding?" he cried, a little surprised at the intensity in his tone. "You and Adam have been fighting non stop lately, and this storyline idea of his just ices the cake. Think of what he did... he didn't want you around him, but instead of sucking it up and talking to you about it, he sneaks behind your back, gets this stupid angle written, and *then* has the balls get angry with you when you followed the script! Do you really want to be married to a man like that?"

"A man like that?" Britney reiterated, her tone sounding less than pleased. "Chris, I thought you two were friends."

"We *are* friends, but Brit, so are you and I, and I'll be damned if I just sit there and watch him hurt you like this! Think about the stress you've been under recently. Hasn't about ninety percent of it been a direct result of something he's done?" he pointed out, pushing himself off the door and coming over to sit next to her.

"Well... yeah," she said, her gaze fixing on the floor. 

"Exactly. What I'm trying to say is that you don't have to put up with it. You've got to put your foot down, Brit. I'm not saying this to sound condescending or anything, but you're going to break down," he replied.

Britney glanced back up at Chris as she considered what he said. Truth was, she was pretty damn close to snapping as it was. _She_ was just as concerned for herself as Chris was, and she knew there wasn't much more she could take. Sighing morosely, Britney shook her head, covering her hands with her eyes. Still perched against the door, Chris studied her intently, watching in total silence as a single tear found its way down her cheek. Pushing himself off of the door, the Canadian approached her, tentatively taking a seat next to her on the couch. Gently tossing his arm over her shoulder, he pulled Britney to him, wrapping her in a tight embrace.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered softly.

Shaking her head, Britney pushed him away. She knew that if they stayed like that for much longer, she really _would_ lose it, and she just couldn't bring herself to bawl in front of him. Not after staying so strong for such a long time. Her expression hardening, Britney stood, making a direct line for the door.

"No... Chris, you're right. Somebody needs to knock some sense into Adam, and if that somebody has to be me, then that's I guess I'm the woman for the job," she said sternly.

Chris frowned, remaining seated as the door shut behind Britney. She had looked so determined when exiting the room, but he was wondering if maybe that wasn't such a good thing. He sat back in his seat, wondering if maybe he had a fueled a fire that didn't need to be lit. 


	14. Part 14

**PART 14**

"Shane, you don't understand," Britney spoke into the phone, resting back on the couch in her living room. "He's driving me crazy. We've been bitching at each other for months now, and nearly *all* are of arguments as of late start because of this stupid storyline that was _his_ idea in the first place!"

From the other end of the line, Shane McMahon sighed tiredly. It had to be nearly one in the morning when his phone rang, waking him from his otherwise peaceful slumber. He was actually surprised the shrill ring hadn't woken his wife, Marissa, as well.

"Brit, I know you're frustrated, but you're overreacting about this. Every couple has a rough patch in their relationship, a bickering period of some sort. If it makes you feel any better, just look at Stephanie and Jay. They're at each other's throats all the time, and *they* know it'll pass..."

"I don't give a shit about Steph and Jay!" Britney cried, gasping slightly. She reminded herself that Adam was upstairs sleeping, and that she'd have to keep her voice down if she wanted him to stay that way. She paused for a moment, allowing herself to calm down. "What I mean is, Jay and Steph have _always_ fought a lot. That's the way their relationship is. Adam and I were *never* like that till just recently. I really don't know how much more I can take."

Shane frowned, a low yawn escaping his lips.  She was giving up too easily. That had always been one of Britney's flaws, in Shane's eyes. She gave up on situations - not to mention people - without putting up much of a fight, without giving them a chance to work things out on their own.

"I think you need to stop being so set on the idea of you guys being doomed. Have you even talked to him about how you feel?" Shane asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Trust me Shane, he knows. Almost everyone I've talked to about this - albeit it hasn't been all that many people - has agreed that our issues are becoming borderline irreconcilable. If he wasn't so damn stubborn about everything, it'd be much easier to talk," she explained.

"The same can be said about you," he muttered, a slight hint of annoyance in his tone. "You have a tendency of being more than a little stubborn, Britney, especially when it comes to you admitting you were wrong."

"Who said I was wrong?" Britney shot defensively. "Why are you taking his side in this?"

Groaning, Shane replied, "I'm not taking his side, but you just proved my point. You're thickheaded, Britney. Unfortunately, it's a trait that runs in the family."

Britney sighed, shaking her head in disagreement. She opened her mouth to speak, but her words were cut off when the phone was yanked from her hand. Her head snapped around, and she was met with a pair of angry green eyes. Adam glared at her, staring in silence for a minute before raising the phone to his ear.

"Sorry Shane, but Britney has to go. I'm thinking she's decided to stop complaining about the problems she has with me to everyone in the world *but* me," he spoke into the receiver before pulling the phone away and hanging it up.

Britney narrowed her eyes at him, snatching the phone from his hand and tossing it across the room. She rose from the couch, standing in front of him and matching his stern gaze with one of her own.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" she challenged, placing both hands on her hips. Adam gave a short laugh as he continued to stare her down, his intense gaze unwavering.

"I couldn't help but overhear your conversation," he commented. "If you have a problem with me, I'd much rather you come to me than bitch to your cousin."

"One, I wasn't _bitching_, I was explaining. And two, God knows I *have* come to you about it, and every time we end up chewing each other out," came Britney's response, through clenched teeth. Laughing again, Adam shook his head.

"That's because none of the explanations I've given you have been acceptable for you. I'm sick of you begging to talk to me and then refusing to hear me out!"

Unable to think of a response, Britney voiced her aggravation with a groan. She rolled her eyes, placing both of her hands on Adam's chest and shoving the blonde man back. He stumbled a bit, caught off guard by the force of her push. With him out of the way, she stormed up the steps, getting as far away as possible. She entered the bedroom, slamming the door shut behind her. The anger boiling inside her bubbled over, and she screamed, clamping her hand over her mouth to muffle the noise. She *hated* seeming so childish, but at the same time, she was damn pissed off.

She threw herself down on the bed, burying her face in the pillow as tears stung at her eyes. She desperately fought them... she wouldn't let the things he said bring her to tears. Still, they somehow managed to leak out, staining the pillowcase as a quiet sob escaped her lips. She remained that way, her entire head encased by the fluffiness of the pillow, until a small sound broke the silence, like a clearing of one's throat.

Britney slowly lifted her head from the pillow, turning onto her back and seeing Adam standing in the doorway, a lost expression on his face. He took a breath as though he were about to speak, but remained silent, instead taking a few steps in her direction and approaching her slowly. He hesitated for a moment, and then carefully took a seat beside her, on the edge of the bed.

He shuddered involuntarily as he realized how uncomfortable he was. Here he was, in his own house, in his own _bed_, and he felt so awkward. He couldn't even bear to look at his wife, who was sitting right next to him. Still without a word, he lifted his arm, gently placing his hand on her knee.

"Don't," she said, eyeing his hand as though it were a fly or something. 

Reluctantly, he pulled away, confused, sorry, and hurt all at the same time. He waited and waited for Britney to say something, anything, but the words never left her mouth. For her to have nothing to say almost worried him. He sighed defeatedly, getting a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that was telling him the situation was helpless.

"It..." he began, a sudden pang in his heart causing him to choke up and pause. "It's not working, is it..."

A stray tear dropped from Britney's eye, sliding down her cheek as she shook her head. As much as it pained her to admit it, Adam was right. It just wasn't working out. Shifting slightly so that she was sitting upright, she glanced at him, and both pairs of their sad eyes locked together.

*                      *                      *                      *

Chris turned to his side, his eyelids finally beginning to grow heavy. For the longest time that night, he couldn't sleep, his eyes staying peeled for whatever reason. He shifted his arm, wrapping it securely around the waist of his wife, Jessica, who was lying asleep next to him, her back pressed against him. Grabbing the remote from the couch cushion, he turned the television off, yawning tiredly.

He considered waking Jess up and heading up to the bedroom, but the couch was _so_ comfortable at the moment. He rested his head on her shoulder, sighing with relief as his eyes finally closed. It felt absolutely heavenly to finally be falling asleep...

That peace was interrupted by a sudden knock at the front door.

Chris's immediate reaction was to jump, nearly knocking himself and Jess off the couch. iWhat the fuck?/i he thought, his eyes snapping in the direction of the main hallway. Groaning loudly, he removed his hand from his wife's hip, hopping over her and onto the floor, nearly tripping. He walked to the door, muttering a string of every curse imaginable as he wondered who in hell would knock on his door so late.

He was a few steps away from the door when he heard the knock again. He considered yelling for the person to knock it off, but he didn't want to wake Jessica up. He fumbled around with the locks, pulling the door open and preparing to give whomever was there a piece of his mind. When he saw who was standing there, though, his expression softened, and a wave of worry washed over him.

"Britney?" he asked as he watched the little blonde, fumbling with her hands as she stood on his doorstep. "Come here, come in," he said ushering her into the house and closing the door, locking it again. "What happened?"

Britney looked up at him, and Chris saw the tears in her telling eyes. His thoughts immediately flew to Adam, and he wondered what must have happened between the two of them. Before he got a chance to ask, she answered.

"Chris, it's over," she said, her voice shaky.

"What?" he asked, half in disbelief, half because he really wasn't sure what she'd meant.

"Adam and I... we're done."


	15. Part 15

**PART 15  
**  
"You... you're _what_?" Chris asked, his jaw dropping in shock. He eyed Britney in utter disbelief, his arm still wrapped around her shoulder. "How?"  
  
"I... I don't know how it happened, Chris," Britney answered quietly, her voice a bit broken up. "We had a fight, such a stupid one too, and I stormed upstairs. Next thing I knew, he was sitting next to me on the bed, and we just both kinda came to the mutual decision that it wasn't working."  
  
Chris's heart nearly dropped out of his chest as he gazed at her sad, pitiful form. He couldn't say he didn't see it coming, but he certainly wasn't expecting their relationship to fall apart so soon. Despite their recent turmoil, they were still one of the strongest couples he'd ever seen... he was in shock.  
  
What he didn't understand was why it happened so soon. Why, after all they had gone through and battled with just to be together in the first place, would they give up? He inhaled slowly, frowning at the shakiness in his breath. He didn't know what to do. For the first time in as far back as he could recall, Chris had nothing to say. He merely stood their for a moment, awkwardly shifting his weight back and forth between his feet. Finally, he simply tossed his arms around her, pulling her to him and holding her tight against him.  
  
A sob escaped Britney's lips as she hugged Chris tightly, his pulling her to him almost a cue for her tears to start flowing again. As much as she had willed herself to stay strong, she was falling apart. Without Adam, she was nothing. They had come so far, persevered through so much, and it was just gone, over.  
  
"I... I don't know what to say," Chris said softly, even after the long minutes he spent thinking over it, still at a loss for words. What could be said?  
  
"I just... I wish it didn't have to end this way..." she spoke against him. She lifted her head a bit, not wanting the moisture on her cheeks to stain his t-shirt.  
  
"I know you didn't," he responded, still unsure of anything helpful to say. "I wish it didn't end like that either."  
  
Britney sighed, forcing herself to push away from him gently. She glanced up at him, and she tried her best to force a smile, though she failed miserably. Chris frowned at the result of her efforts, placing each of his hands on her waist. He was about to pull her to him again, but then he heard a small sound, like someone was clearing their throat. He turned, and Britney gazed past him, to see Jessica standing at the head of the hallway. Judging by the look on her face, it was safe to say she had heard their entire conversation. She approached the two slowly, placing a consoling hand on Britney's right shoulder.  
  
"I'm so sorry, Brit," she said quietly, her gaze traveling back and forth between her husband at the blonde woman before her. "Maybe it'd be best if you stayed here for awhile..."  
  
"Oh, no, Jess, I couldn't do that," Britney cut her off, shaking her head. "I was just hoping I could crash here for the night, that's all. I'll be out by tomorrow, I'm sure I've got plenty of places I could go."  
  
She appreciated Jessica's offer very much, but in reality she knew she couldn't impose on them like that. She and Chris barely had three days a week with each other, and she couldn't just throw herself right in the middle.  
  
"Nonsense," Jessica replied, taking Britney's hand in her own and leading her down the hall, past Chris, who still seemed to be in a bit of shock. "Come on, let's get you something to sleep in."  
  
Chris sighed as he watched the two women disappear down the hall. He felt terrible for what was happening, but at the same time, he had a strange, content feeling in the pit of his stomach. Shaking his head, he blew it off, exhaling heavily as he headed off after the girls.  
  
Jay groaned as he pounded on the front door for what had to be the twelfth time since arriving. Kicking the pavement below him with the heel of his shoe, he pulled himself away from the door, he stepped over to the window that looked into the living room, cupping his hand above his brow as he peered inside. It was dark inside - almost as dark as it was outside - and the Canadian had to squint to be able to see anything. But, through the light of the television being played, he managed to make out Adam's form.  
  
He scowled... if Adam had been sitting there the entire time, why the hell didn't he just open up the door?  
  
"Jesus Christ... Adam, open the damn door!" he cried, pounding his fists on the window, all the while silently praying that the glass would not shatter under the force.  
  
A few seconds later, Adam turned his head, and upon noticing a very frazzled looking Jay outside the door, he forced himself up off the couch. Jay sighed, stepping away from the window and pausing as he heard the locks on the door beginning to jiggle. Moments later, the door inched open and Adam stood in the frame.  
  
Jay glanced up at his best friend, and a gasp slipped from his lips. He looked like an absolute wreck. There wasn't one specific thing that he could put his finger on, but for whatever the reason, Adam looked like hell.  
  
"Adam, I haven't heard from you guys in three days... where have you been?" he asked, entering the house and pulling the door closed behind him.  
  
Between himself, Stephanie, Britney, and Adam, the four of them were in contact on a daily basis, even when they weren't on the road. When Stephanie brought it to his attention earlier that evening that they hadn't spoken to her cousin or Adam in days, he decided to investigate.  
  
"I've been here," Adam replied shortly after.  
  
He sauntered back over to the couch he had been sitting on previously, tossing himself back onto it with a tired sigh. Jay raised an eyebrow, slowly heading over to a different couch nearby and taking a seat. He eyed Adam intently, concern glazing his blue eyes.  
  
"What about the four times Steph and I called today?" he asked.  
  
Adam shrugged, his eyes absently fixing on the television. He had been watching for about two and a half hours, but he no clue as to what was on.  
  
"Didn't feel like answering the phone," he responded distantly.  
  
Jay frowned, his concern for Adam growing by leaps and bounds as each minute passed. Something was very wrong. He knew Adam only got that way - so quiet, with that blank, hopeless stare in his normally bright eyes - when he was thoroughly depressed. And for the past two or so years, there was only one thing - rather, one _person_ - that made him that way.  
  
"Where is Britney?" Jay asked, his eyes quickly surveying the area as he noted that the blonde woman was nowhere in sight.  
  
His question was once again answered with a shrug.  
  
"Not here," he said.  
  
Jay's stomach nearly dropped from his body. He tilted his head to the side, his mouth hanging open a bit as he stared at Adam in disbelief.  
  
"A-alright, I guess I'll talk to her when she... gets back..." Jay replied, though his tone caused the statement to sound more like a question.  
  
With the way the two had been going at it recently, anytime Britney and Adam were apart made Jay a little nervous, especially after their in-ring kiss. Adam hadn't even pretended to be okay with that. Adam finally tore his gaze off the television, shaking his head.  
  
"She's not coming back, Jay."  
  
The shorter man sighed, Adam's statement having confirmed his worst fears. He remained silent for a moment, unsure of what to say. Then, he tentatively rose from the couch, taking small, slow steps towards Adam. He sat down next to him, resting his hands on his knees as he sent a sympathetic gaze his way.  
  
"When?" he asked, turning to face him.  
  
"Last night," Adam replied with a sigh. "Actually, around one this morning. She's over at Chris's now, I think... that's where she was headed when she left, anyway."  
  
Another sigh emitted from Jay as he studied Adam's profile closely. His best friend didn't appear to be hurt... numb was more the word to describe how he looked. He just knew this was going to happen.  
  
"Man... I'm sorry..." he said, but Adam shook his head, waving at him in protest.  
  
Sympathy was the last thing he wanted at the moment. What he wanted was to just go away, maybe even for forever.  
  
"Hey..." Jay spoke again after a brief pause, "if you don't want to room alone this week, I'll stay with you. I'm sure Steph will want to stay with Britney anyway, so it..."  
  
"I'm not coming," he cut him off. Jay's expression grew confused.  
  
"What? What do you mean you're not coming? You have to..."  
  
"No, I don't," he replied flatly. "I talked to Vince, and he said he could write me out on injury, after you two attacking me the other night. He told me to take two weeks off."  
  
Jay groaned, smacking his forehead lightly. He knew Vince was doing what he thought was in best interest of everyone, but knowing Adam as well as he did, he knew that keeping him away from wrestling was not a smart idea. Outside of Britney, wrestling was his passion, his life.  
  
"Oh..." Jay said, his eyes locking on the floor. "I see..."  
  
"Look, Jay, I appreciate you stopping over here, but can you just go?" Adam asked suddenly, surprising his friend a bit. "I just... I need to think."  
  
Jay sighed, nodding as he stood from the chair. He didn't like it, but he was just going to have to let him be, for now at least. He slowly made his way toward the door, stopping to toss one last glance over his shoulder.  
  
"Okay..." 


	16. Part 16

PART 16

"I don't want your sympathy."

Chris frowned as he looked over at Britney, who was sitting on the bed across from him. He glanced down, watching in silence as she fumbled her hands around. They had only been on the road for two days, and he could already tell the adjustment she was making was going to be more difficult than even he imagined. 

"I don't feel sorry for you, Brit," he replied, shaking his head.

"Then stop looking at me like I'm a piece of glass," she said almost bitterly. "I'm not going to break."

If there was one thing in this world that she could not stand, it was people feeling sorry for her. Support was fine, even a bit of sympathy was okay by her, but not pity. Pity implied that she was having problems that she could not handle, and after the twenty-three long years of her life, she had come to the conclusion that there was nothing she couldn't handle.

"I'm sorry, but how can I not be worried about you? You just ended a two and a half year relationship with someone I know you were madly in love with. Don't pretend to be okay," he requested, his soft eyes unmatching of his firm tone.

"Why do you insist on bringing that up every chance you get?" she asked, rolling her eyes.

"Why do _you_ insist on pretending to be unscathed by all this?" he responded quickly, turning the question around on her. "We both know you're hurting... just let me help you."

"You shouldn't have to help me, Chris. It's not your responsibility to see to it that I'm alright," she pointed out.

Chris sighed, smacking his forehead in frustration. She was so stubborn at times, it made him want to yank his hair out by the strand. He knew very well that he didn't _have_ to help her out, but he _wanted_ to.

"I know that, Britney, but I can't help it. It's hard for me to stand by and watch you hurting," he explained.

"Which is exactly why I told you to let me stay with Stephanie," she said. "I don't want to cause you any of those difficult feelings. I'm already invading your space at home, I don't want to do it on the road as well. I don't want you getting sick of me."

Despite her somewhat light-hearted laughter, Chris groaned, shaking his head again.

"I could never get tired of you," he insisted.

"Don't bet on it," Britney said, eyeing him sincerely. "Just let me call Steph now, and..."

"No!" Chris cried, slamming his hand down over the receiver of the hotel room phone just at Britney was about to pick it up, causing her to jump. "No, don't do that. I like having you around, Brit... I want you to stay."

Britney cocked a peculiar eyebrow at him, wondering why he was so insistent that she stay with him. Then again, it was more than typical of him to be overly protective of her. Sighing, she drew her hand away from the phone.

"Okay, I'll stay..." she said tentatively.

Chris smiled, releasing his grip from the telephone as well. He rose from where he was seated, moving over to her and settling down next to her. He placed a hand on her knee, using his free hand to ruffle her hair a bit.

"I'll try not to be overly sympathetic," he promised with a wink.

Britney smiled, reaching up to gently touch his cheek.

"Thank you," she replied with a gracious nod. "But Chris, I do appreciate all the help, okay? I really do... I'd be lost without you. I _need_ you, you know that."

Chris smiled, placing his arm around her and pulling her close. 

"Good to know," he said, exhaling heavily as she hugged him tightly. "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. We'll get through this together."

Later that week

From a maximum security prison in upstate Connecticut, a grin spread across the face of Paul Levesque. For the first time in the four months that he had been imprisoned, he had a good feeling in the pit of his stomach.

He had been going crazy since being locked away for the rape of Stephanie McMahon. Being trapped in this hell hole of a place certainly wasn't the way he should have been living. He was surrounded by low class morons, from the idiots he had to share cells with all the way down to those overpaid, useless prison guards. He found it utterly repulsing to be forced to share bathrooms, living spaces, _air_ with the losers around him, all of them nothing but common criminals. He was far from common. He was far above these pathetic excuses for people...

Which was exactly why he was getting the hell out.

The thought alone of escaping this rat infested - and he wasn't speaking of rodents - place made him nearly giddy. He had spent the past months plotting and brainstorming, multiple ideas drifting in and out of his mind, but none of them realistic enough to actually work.

Until a few weeks ago, that is, when he'd received a visit, a very surprising visit at that. Following that unexpected encounter, the perfect plan for escape fell right into his waiting hands.

A loud buzzer sounded, the noise cutting his thoughts short. The guard standing closely behind him slid a key into the handcuffs holding his arms back, releasing him from the restraints. He stepped inside the small room, acknowledging his visitor with a nod. Paul headed over to the table the man was seated at, taking a seat in the chair across from him.

"I'm glad you decided to show," Levesque commented, placing his hands on the metal tabletop, folding them together.

The man nodded, resting back in his chair. He rested his own hands on his knees, eyeing Paul in silence for a moment before opening his mouth to speak.

"Yeah, well, don't expect it to become a regular occurrence," he quipped. "If word gets out that I've been here, not only will Vince McMahon have my ass, your hopes of getting out of here will go completely out the window. Vince'll see to it that you're thrown in..."

"Word won't get out," Paul interrupted smoothly. "Besides, with the way I envision things happening, it'll only take a few more discussions on our part before I get the fuck out of here."

"I don't know how you can live in this shithole, man. I've only been here about ten minutes, and this place has got me fiending for a shower in the worst way," he replied, shuddering as he glanced at his surroundings.

"You get used to it," Paul responded with a shrug. "But enough about me. How are things going with everyone back there?"

"Exactly as I want them to be. Everyone's gotten themselves so preoccupied over the 'devastating' break up Britney and Adam just had, that I don't think they even realize I'm there," he said with satisfaction.

"You're sure they're not onto you?" he asked.

"Please," the man replied with a shake of his head. "I'm so far in their heads that they can't even see me. And on top of that, Adam still hasn't shown his face, and practically every waking minute of everyone's day is spent feeling sympathetic for poor little Britney," he informed with a snort.

Paul's eyes narrowed a bit at the mention of the blonde woman's name. He shook his head, groaning quietly.

"That little brat always has to be the center of attention, doesn't she?" he questioned in annoyance. "Now there's someone I'd like to get my hands on and..."

"Hey, you know the deal. I help you get out of this place, Stephanie is all yours. Hell, you're free to take out anyone you'd like, but Britney is mine. I've waited too long for this to have you fuck it up," he warned.

"Don't get your panties in a bunch," Paul said with a quick laugh. "She's all yours. I just want out of this damn place so I can get my revenge. I and will get just that... they'll all pay for what they did to me... every last one of them."


	17. Part 17

**PART 17**

"I don't want to talk about what's going down for the show anymore," Jay said as he eyed Britney closely.

She couldn't help but a agree with him, so she tossed her script aside. They had been discussing what was happing during the night's show for a good fifteen or twenty minutes, and as far as she was concerned, that was plenty enough. Folding her hands in her lap, she smiled as he dropped his script as well, papers fluttering a bit as they fell to the floor.

"Can't say I disagree," she replied.

Despite the good natured smile on her face, Jay frowned. She was faking her happiness, anyone with half a brain could see that. He moved closer to her, regarding her in an almost careful manner.

"How are you?" he asked, and Britney knew by the look on his face that a simple 'fine' would not be a suitable answer this time around.

She sighed, exhaling emphatically. She appreciated everyone's concern, it was a genuinely great thing... but she had been asked that same question so many times by so many different people, she felt as though she were going to explode.

"I'm hanging in there," she answered truthfully. "I mean, I don't necessarily like the situation I'm in, but I can deal."

"Well, I'm glad to hear you're alright," he said, much to her surprise and relief. Not getting the third degree was nice for a change. Then again, that was always one of the things she loved most about Jay. He didn't ask too many questions. "Steph and I were worried about you."

"Well thanks, Jay, I appreciate it. I'm okay though, really... Chris won't allow me to be anything but," she said with a laugh.

Jay nodded, chuckling softly. It was true; ever since Britney told Chris to stop feeling sorry for her, the Canadian kept the two of them so busy there was no time to feel sorry for anyone.

"He's certainly been keeping you busy," he agreed. "Last time I talked to him he had enough shit planned to keep you occupied for the rest of your life."

Britney laughed, rolling her eyes playfully. She wouldn't put it past Chris to do something like that. He had barely slept in the past five days, he had them going non-stop. If she even _wanted_ to think about missing Adam, there was not enough time in the day to do so. However, the thought of his name triggered some things in her mind. He still wasn't scheduled to return for another week, and Britney wondered how he was doing.

"Jay... how's Adam doing?" she asked curiously.

Jay almost grinned at her question. For two people who had difference they absolutely couldn't settle, they sure had a hell of a lot of concern and love for one another.

"Eh, he's alright. He's been better, but he's sure as hell been worse," Jay replied, thinking back to when he had gone to the house in search of Adam not long ago. He had been an absolute wreck then. "I think getting back on the road again and getting back to the normal routine will be good for him, even though he'll have to adjust rooming with me again... I snore."

Britney giggled at his comment and he winked at her, but then he eyed her questioningly when her brow furrowed into a frown. When Adam rejoined the WWE Superstars the following week, the plan was for Adam to begin sharing a room with Jay, and Britney with Stephanie... that way, none of them would have to be alone. They would continue to do so for as long as necessary. And as far as being off the road, Britney would continue to stay at the Irvine's house until another arrangement was made, but they were in no hurry for such a thing to happen. Things seemed to be working out smoothly... however, Britney had still yet to inform Chris.

------------------------------------

"Dude, what the hell is your problem?" Jay asked incredulously, staring at Chris with wide eyes.

The two men had met up in the locker room and had been have a casual chat, and when the topic of discussion settled on the current situation with Britney and Adam, he had mentioned the new rooming arrangements that would take effect once Adam returned the following week. Chris damn near had a heart attack, and upon hearing the news, vehemently protested Britney staying with Stephanie, even going as far as to forbid it.

"I don't have a problem," Chris replied, the volume of his voice dropping drastically all of a sudden after he'd been reprimanded. "I just don't think it'd be best to tear her out of one environment and shove her into a new one already."

Jay didn't mean to be rude, but he couldn't contain the urge to laugh in Chris's face. Sometimes he swore his friend had one of those hyperactive mind disorders. Something was definitely not right up there.

"Chris, listen to yourself! You're making it sound like we're shipping her out to live by herself in Africa or something! She's just going to be staying with Stephanie - her cousin - right down the hall from you. You'll still be able to keep a close eye on her."

Chris chewed on his lower lip thoughtfully, and Jay frowned as he noted the skeptical gaze on his face. He couldn't help the way he felt. He just liked having Britney with him better... that way, he always had living proof that she was alright.

"I just think she'd be better off if you just left her with me," he said finally.

"Well, if we did that, then Steph would be left without a roommate, and I don't want her staying by herself. You're a big boy, Chris, you don't need Britney around. You get her on the days off anyway," Jay replied. He didn't see what the big deal was.

"That's not the point, Jay. I just... you wouldn't understand it, I'd just feel a lot better if she was with me. I think it'd be best for both of us."

Jay sighed, smacking his forehead in frustration. He didn't know why he bothered to back himself up, it was virtually impossible to argue with Chris over anything, _especially_ this. Shaking his head, he laughed, trying his best to find humor in the situation.

"I think it'd be best for me if you'd shut up, assclown."


	18. Part 18

Adam exhaled heavily as he dropped the gym bag that had been slung over his shoulder to the floor. He grabbed a metal folding chair that was leaning against a nearby wall and took a seat in it, sighing again. He wasn't excited about being back on the road in the least. There were just so many people that he didn't want to see... that he couldn't see. Actually, he had already seen Britney and Chris, the two he wished to avoid the most, earlier in the afternoon. He was almost positive Britney hadn't seen him, but Chris had, and the awkwardness he was regarded with made him sick.  
  
Even more so than sick, Adam felt empty. His stomach growled as though he were starving, yet he'd entirely lost his appetite. While Britney didn't look happy by a long shot, she did appear to be holding her own... certainly not dying, by any means. Did she not have the same terrible, aching pain in her heart like he did in his?   
  
The sound of a throat clearing caught Adam's attention. He turned his head, his lips curling down into a frown as he saw none other than Mark Callaway, and the big man was approaching him.  
  
**PART 18**

"Mark, save it," he said, putting a hand in the air as if protesting his presence already. "Whatever rant, speech, or lecture you were planning on giving me, just save it. I don't have the fuckin' energy."  
  
Mark gave a frown similar to the one he was receiving from the Canadian, shaking his head. He took a seat on a nearby couch, locking eyes with the emotionally drained man.  
  
"I ain't here to lecture," he assured him, "I'm here to talk. Not to you, not at you... _with_ you."  
  
Adam held back a groan, knowing that doing so would bring him no good. He recalled a situation similar to this - where Mark came to see him while he and Britney weren't speaking - which happened awhile back, in the midst of all the mess with Brock Lesnar. And if memory served him correctly, he ended up with a black eye.  
  
"Well, okay..." he voiced tentatively. "But in all seriousness, go easy on me. I've barely got enough in me to listen."  
  
Mark nodded. Had anyone else made such a comment, he would've thought they were digging for sympathy, but he knew this was not the case with Adam. The kid wouldn't lie about his mental or emotional state... he didn't know how.  
  
"I wasn't going to be overbearing," he insisted, eyeing the blonde man sincerely. "Uncharacteristic as it may seem, I'm actually on your side with this one."  
  
Adam did a double take. Uncharacteristic was right. He couldn't in a million years envision Mark picking him over Britney. Though he was shocked, Adam played his feelings down... he supposed he'd have to get used to doing so around here.  
  
"On my side? There's nothing to be on my side about," he insisted with a shake of his head. "Choosing sides makes it sound like we're fighting, and we're not."  
  
Mark sighed, "No, you're just not speaking to each other at all."  
  
Adam chose not to respond, slumping back in his seat. He wished he could shake the emptiness he was feeling, but judging by the fact that it had yet to do so since Britney left, he guessed it wasn't going anywhere for a long time. Mark felt a pang of sympathy in his heart for the younger man, who seemed to be taking all this even worse than he imagined.  
  
"Look, my point was just that if you need anything, come find me. I know how it feels to have an ex-wife..."  
  
"She's not my ex-wife, Mark," Adam quipped, unable to prevent a wince after hearing the term.  
  
Mark shook his head... someone had to snap the kid out of the daze he was in.  
  
"Yeah, well if you don't sit her down and talk to her soon, she will be," he warned wisely.  
  
Adam sighed, nodding his head in agreement. Mark made it sound so much easier than it actually would be. He and Britney had made the mutual agreement to split up; they both decided it would be for the best. How could he tell her now that he'd made the wrong decision?  
  
"It's easier said than done, you know that," he said, glancing across at the older man.  
  
"I know," Mark agreed. "But I also know that that girl loves you more than anything in the world. But she's not going to come to you, Adam... you've got to go to her."  
  
----------------------------------------  
  
Not too far down the hall, a locker room creaked open and a head peered out. When the man determined that the halls were empty, he ducked back into the room, locking the door behind him. A sly grin formed on his lips as he took his cell phone out, his thoughts for a moment drifting from the call he was about to make.  
  
He had seen her earlier - Britney, that is - talking with Stephanie. The two women had no idea he'd been watching them, but even if they did, it wouldn't have mattered. It wasn't out of the norm for him to be watching the two of them while they were alone. They were so naive, it almost pissed him off. How they - and everyone else for that matter - weren't onto him yet made absolutely no sense to him.  
  
"No matter... they'll know soon enough," he muttered to himself.  
  
A smug look took over his features as he drew his mind back to the task at hand. He located the number in his address book and sent the call. A few moments later, he was connected and talking to the man he'd been waiting for... that man being Paul Levesque.  
  
"So, everyone still in the dark?" Paul asked, a hint of hopefulness in his otherwise humored tone.  
  
"Every last one of them," the man replied. "I'm surrounded by morons."  
  
"You and me both," Paul replied with a snicker, scowling at the thought of some of his inmates. "But hey, the more clueless they are, the easier shit'll be for us."  
  
"True..." the man responded. "Speaking of us, how's it going there? You gonna be ready tomorrow?"  
  
"Are you going to be here tomorrow?" Paul questioned.  
  
"Yeah..." he responded tentatively, unsure of why Levesque would ask such a question.  
  
"Then I'll be ready."  
  
Shortly after that, his phone time ran out, and Paul was forced to hang up. Tossing his phone down to the table and plopping down on a chair, an evil, twisted smile came to his lips. The arrival of Adam Copeland had really put a damper on the day, but his phone call with Paul Levesque did wonders to pick up his spirits. Their plans were coming together nicely, and it wasn't going to be long before they took effect.


	19. Part 19

**PART 19**

Vince McMahon felt a sigh escaping from his lips, his hands coming up to massage his temples. He had a killer headache, and the last thing he wanted to be looking at at the moment was the gigantic stack of papers in front of him. One would think that being the chairman, he'd have hired a damn secretary. But he didn't trust anyone else doing his job, so doing so had always been out of the question.  
  
Shaking his head, Vince wondered why he was even thinking about that. Before he got the chance to ponder it any further, his phone rang, cutting into his senseless thoughts. He reached across the desk and picked up the telephone, placing the receiver to his ear.  
  
"Yes?" he answered, not bothering to check the caller ID.  
  
"Dad..." he recognized Shane's voice, his son sounding a little breathless. "I... I need to talk to you."  
  
The urgency in Shane's voice startled Vince, and his eyes widened slightly.  
  
"What, what is it? Is something wrong?" he questioned curiously.  
  
"Something is very wrong," Shane replied dreadfully. "Turn the television on and get to the news, now."  
  
"I'm in my office, Shane, I don't even have a television in here," Vince explained, wondering what in hell was going on. "Just tell me, what's going on?"  
  
He heard a loud sigh from the other line, followed by a long silence. As if he wasn't startled enough by the conversation so far, the long pause his son was making had him damn worried. Running his free hand through his hair, Vince leaned down and rested his head on the desk.  
  
"Well?" he demanded expectantly.  
  
"Sorry, Dad, I just don't know how to put this, really..." Shane responded truthfully. Putting what he had just seen on the television into words was much easier said than done.  
  
"Come on, Shane, I don't have the time to play guessing games. Is it Stephanie? Britney? Did someone get hurt?" Vince interrogated him anxiously.  
  
He didn't mean to sound so annoyed, but Shane knew damn well that he hated playing games like this. He needed to know what the problem was, and he needed to know now.  
  
"Worse than all that combined, I'm afraid," he replied. He couldn't even pretend to hide the anger, concern, and even terror in his tone.  
  
Vince's forehead wrinkled curiously. What could possibly be worse than all those things separately, let alone combined?  
  
"Spit it out!" he cried, feeling as though he would burst if he had to wait a second longer. Shane cleared his throat almost nervously, taking a deep breath.  
  
"Dad... it's about Paul... he escaped from prison."

--------------------------------------  
  
Jay exhaled loudly as he shuffled around on his feet, staring at the large white door before him. He had knocked on the door to this hotel room - the one that Stephanie was sharing with Britney - for nearly five minutes, and neither of the girls had answered. He knew they were in there, as Steph told him earlier in the day that they had no other plans but to spend the afternoon in. Sighing, he rested his head on the door. He had to get in there and talk to them... he had just gotten off the phone with Shane, who had told him the horrible news of Paul Levesque's escape from the state penitentary he was being held in.  
  
Jay wasn't quite sure what scared him more: the fact that they weren't answering the door, or the thought that Britney and Stephanie probably weren't aware of the news yet. He wanted to be the one to tell them, especially Stephanie. Her heart would be shattered either way, the least he could do was be there for her when she found out. If only his head would stop spinning.  
  
Once the dizziness he was feeling faded somewhat, he gripped the doorhandle tightly, jumping back a bit as he realized that it wasn't locked. Swinging the door open, he slowly stepped inside.  
  
"Steph?" he called into the seemingly empty hotel room. "Brit?"  
  
His eyes searched the area for the girls, and they seemed to have vanished. However, only a few moments later he caught a glimpse of Stephanie, his girlfriend standing in the doorway to the bathroom. She must not have heard him call to her, because the brunette didn't even acknowledge the fact that anyone else had stepped in the room. He slowly walked in her direction, hushing himself as he heard Britney speaking from the bathroom.  
  
"I don't think I can do it again, Steph, especially not now," she said.  
  
Jay couldn't help but notice how choked up the blonde woman sounded, and he frowned. What was she talking about? Curiosity taking over, he approached Stephanie, who still had no idea he was there, until he squeezed into the doorframe with her and turned to face Britney.  
  
"Can't handle what?" he spoke, his voice unconsciously taking a protectively harsh tone.  
  
Part of him thought maybe Britney had heard about Paul escaping, but he discarded the idea. If either of the two women had heard anything about what happened at the prison, there was no way Stephanie would be so calm. Still, both women looked more than a little distressed, and Jay couldn't bear to tell them about Paul just yet. He didn't want to pile anymore bad news on them, not until he figured out what was going on right now.  
  
"Jay!" Britney cried in surprise, taking the item that was resting in her hand and shoving it hastily behind her back. "What the hell are you doing here?"  
  
Stephanie jumped as she noticed her boyfriend standing beside her. She had been so engrossed over what she and Britney were discussing, she hadn't even noticed him come up beside her.  
  
"I just wanted to drop by and check up on the two of you, make sure everything's alright," he replied, tossing his hands up in a placating gesture. "And apparently, everything's not alright."  
  
Stephanie sighed, shaking her head. Talk about bad timing. She suddenly found herself wishing she had locked the door.  
  
"Everything's fine, honey, we're okay," she assure him, stepping between him and Britney.  
  
Jay cocked an eyebrow at Stephanie, knowing now more than ever that something was terribly wrong. They were hiding something from him, and he was set on finding out just what that was.  
  
"Bullshit," he said as he gazed past Stephanie, noticing that Britney still secretively held the item behind her back. "I know something's going on... just tell me."  
  
Britney sighed, waving Stephanie away from her. She motioned with her eyes for Jay to approach her, and he did, the blonde man coming to rest on one knee before her. Stephanie was right behind him, her hand on Jay's shoulder as she glanced down at her cousin, who was sitting on the porcelain toilet.  
  
Britney did try and smile, but her efforts went nowhere. Deciding it would do her no good to beat around the bush, she pulled the item from behind her, extending her hand at him. Jay only needed one look at it to understand her situation completely, and his eyes widened in shock.  
  
"No..." he breathed, unable to keep his jaw from dropping.  
  
Britney nodded, her eyes shining with despair and confirming his worst fears. Stephanie let out an audible sigh as her cousin replied to his statement.  
  
"I don't know what to do, Jay..." she said, "...I'm pregnant again..."


	20. Part 20

**Part 20**

"Pregnant..." Jay breathed, having to say the word himself to believe that it was true.

Britney responded with a silent nod, holding the confirmed pregnancy test in her hands. Jay studied her closely, sighing in distress. Having a baby was supposed to be the the happiest occasion in a woman's life, and this young woman did not look happy.

"Well, there's always a chance the test is wrong," he said, hoping to offer her even the slightest bit of hope. "You'll have to get checked out by the company doctor."

"The test isn't wrong, Jay," she replied with a shrug. "I feel exactly like I did the last time. I'm still going to the doctor, obviously, but there's not a doubt in my mind that I'm pregnant."

Jay took his gaze off of Britney to glance back at his girlfriend, who was still propped in the door frame. She sent him a sad look, and his heart dropped. Their morale was already so low... he couldn't bear to break their hearts anymore by telling them about Paul. That piece of information would just have to wait.

The group fell into silence, the minds of each of the three people heavy with emotion. A thought occured to Jay as he watched Britney.

"You have to tell Adam," he piped up.

Regardless of their marriage falling apart, Adam deserved more than anything to know about his child.

"No I don't," Britney protested. "At least, not right now."

Jay shook his head. She was being stubborn again, and he hated that.

"It's his baby, isn't it?"

"Jay!" Stephanie scolded. "Of course it's Adam's baby."

"My point exactly," he replied. "And you know how he feels about having a kid, Brit. You _have_ to tell him."

"Jay, I know. I'll tell him," Britney promised. "Just not until I'm ready."

"And when will you be ready?" Jay quipped, eyeing her sternly. "Nine months from now?"

"Don't be an ass," Britney warned. "I'm scared right now, okay? I don't even know how I feel yet, I don't know if I'll be able to handle his reaction, too."

Frowning, Jay nodded, leaning down beside her.

"Okay, I'm sorry," he said seriously. "As long as you promise me that you'll tell him as soon as you're ready."

"I will," she told him. "I will."

Just then, Stephanie's cell phone rang. She excused herself from the bathroom to take the call, as it was from one of the writers on the creative team. A few moments later when the call had ended, she sighed, heading back to her boyfriend and cousin. Her ears perked up a bit at the sound of their conversation.

"I just don't think that I can do this on my own," Britney said, looking up at him with a lost stare.

Jay patted her knee gently, offering her a small smile.

"Trust me, Britney... you will not be alone."

Stephanie had to turn away from the two of them, a sad, uneasy feeling boiling within her. The tender moment between the two people she was closest with hadn't touched her in the least. She thought it was very noble of Jay to want to help Britney, but it only made her think of her own desire to have a child. Not only had Jay not proposed, he never even mentioned the idea of having children. What was the matter with her? Why was she good enough to be his girlfriend, but not good enough to start a family or a life with?

Sighing morosely, she walked away, leaving her boyfriend and cousin in the bathroom.

-

"Are you feeling alright?" Chris asked as Britney reclined back on the leather couch in his locker room, her eyes closed.

"Yeah, fine," she said. It wasn't exactly the truth, but she certainly felt better than she had that morning. "Just exhausted."

Chris's expression didn't change.

"So how come you haven't told me that you're pregnant?" he asked knowingly.

Britney's eyes shot open, her gaze bolting in his direction. What?

"How do you know that!" she asked in shock.

She hadn't told anyone but Stephanie, Jay, and Vince. If any of them had blabbed to Chris, she'd murder them. God only knew what he'd do if he knew she was pregnant... he practically kept her locked up as it was.

"Come on, give me some credit," he replied. "You're in the bathroom every morning when we're at home, they've completely removed you from any ringside activity, and you've been 'exhausted' the last three times I asked if you were alright. I did the math.""

Britney pursed her lips together, shaking her head. He knew her far too well. Turning to face him, she took his hand in her own.

"Chris, whatever you do, please do not tell a soul about this. I don't want it getting around yet," she implored, her blue eyes pleading.

"Say no more," he replied, throwing his free hand to the air. "I won't say a thing to anyone."

Britney nodded a gracious thank you, keeping her gaze focused on him.

"While we're on the subject, I need your advice," she said. "I don't know how I'm supposed to tell Adam. I have to break the news to him soon, but I have no idea how to do it."

Chris sat in silence for a few moments, studying Britney and her current situation closely. Britney hadn't even seen Adam since they split... could she really just show up and tell him that she was pregnant again? He exhaled slowly, letting go of her hand.

"Don't," he said firmly. "Don't tell him at all."

"Chris, I have to tell him, I'm carrying his child..."

"I don't care," he voiced his opposition. "I think telling him about the baby would be a very bad idea."

Britney arched her eyebrow at him. This certainly wasn't the response she was expecting from him.

"What do you mean?" she inquired.

"Well, just look at how awkward things are now. Could you imagine how weird it'd be for the two of you if he knew about the baby?" he explained. "Your situation is already so screwed up..."

"And what am I supposed to say when I start showing?" she asked him. "I can't hide it forever."

"Well, then you cross that bridge when it becomes one. Right now, you don't need anymore drama in your life," he said in return.

Britney moved away from him, thoughtfully considering his statement. He had a point. It wasn't the most solid point, but Chris's thinking was always a little outside the ballpark. It was a point nonetheless.

However, she had been fortunate to avoid Adam thusfar, but she knew that wasn't going to last forever. She would have to face him eventually. But she didn't need to hunt him down to tell him the news.

After hearing her sigh, Chris lightly patted her knee.

"Do you see my point?""

"Yeah, Chris, I see it..." she began. "Only I think I'm more confused than ever."


	21. Part 21

**Part 21**

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" 

Chris glanced up from the book he was reading, looking up to a pair of gleaming blue eyes.

"Reading..." he responded with a laugh. "Some people still do it for fun."

"Don't get cute with me," Jay retorted, a less than pleased expression on his face. "You know what I'm talking about."

Chris raised an eyebrow at him. He could just imagine what he'd done this time.

"Alright, what mortal sin have I committed now?" he asked, an air of lightheartedness in his tone.

His eyes stern and serious, Jay narrowed his gaze at Chris.

"Well, I'm just wondering what in hell would possess you to tell Britney that she didn't need to tell Adam she was pregnant," he explained, staring in disbelief.

Chris threw his book down on the table in front of him, sighing loudly. He should have known this would happen. He had been hoping that Britney would keep his comments to herself. he supposed that he should have known better; she shared _everything_ with Jay these days.

"I didn't say she didn't need to tell him, exactly," he bluffed, glancing up at Jay.

"Really?" Jay challenged, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Because she specifically said that you told her she didn't need to tell him. In fact, she said you made it clear that telling him was a bad idea."

_Damn it,_ he thought to himself. He hadn't been thinking clearly when he gave her that advice. He didn't think Britney would have taken what he said so seriously.

"Look, maybe she took what I said and blew it out of proportion, but I didn't..."

"Cut the bullshit," Jay cut him off. "I don't know what's gotten into you lately, but you've been acting really stupid when it comes to Britney. You're in no position to tell her she doesn't have to tell him."

"Oh, and you are in the position to tell her she does!" Chris snapped back defensively. He jumped up from his seat and moved over to Jay. "The whole point of my advice to her was that however she handles this situatoin needs to be her decision. I may have worded my sentences wrong, but what I meant for her to take from it was that she is the only person who can ultimately decide what's right for her."

The hard expression on Jay's face softened, and he backed away from Chris. He looked down at his feet, which shifted uncomfortably beneath him.

"Chris, I don't think she can make the right decisions on her own," he said sadly, his head still drooped between his shoulders. "You know how dependant she is. If somebody doesn't give her guidance, she won't be able to function, let alone make a huge decision like that."

Chris sighed, stepping back as well. As a sign of resignation, he placed his hands in hte air, shaking his head. The unfortunate fact was that he was right. Many people, including Britney herself, felt that she was a strong, independent person... but the truth was she needed others like she needed oxygen. Without her friends and family, she'd barely be able to survive daily life.

But Jay had a tendency to put her too high on a pedestal. Chris knew Jay only cared as much as he did himself, but he was beginning to put Britney in front of the other people in his life.

"This is just a suggestion," Chris told him, "but maybe if you focused less of your time and energy on Britney, and more on Stephanie, your relationship wouldn't be on the rocks."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Jay asked, a confused look marring his features.

Chris shook his head and pushed past him, heading to the door.

"Just think about it."

-

Britney plopped down on the couch in the empty women's locker room, closing her eyes. She rarely spent time in here anymore, but since it was vacant, she decided to have a seat. She needed some time to herself, just to think... without Chris or Jay up her ass.

The problem was that she had so many thoughts swirling around in her head that she couldn't organize them. It was all very overwhelming, and it almost had her marching directly to Vince's office and demanding time off. But she knew such a request would only add to the mountain of stress she was under. God only knew how the others would react to her packing up and going home, where they couldn't watch over her like a hawk.

What bothered her the most was that she still hadn't told Adam she was pregnant. She had seen him a few times since finding out, and she could not bring herself to tell him. What was worse, the few people that knew gave her different advice. Stephanie said to tell him when she was ready, Jay was pushing her to tell him immediately, and Chris was saying not to tell him at all.

The door swung open, and the sound of it hitting the door made Britney jump and open her eyes. A soft smile played on her lips as she saw a familiar face.

"Hey," she said with a nod. "Brit..." Amy mouthed, seemingly surprised to see her. "Long time no see."

Amy had been battling a knee injury for the last couple of months, and she had been in and out of action as a result. However, even when she was around, the two ladies scarcely saw each other.

"Yeah..." Britney agreed. "How have you been?"

Amy bit her lip, eyeing Britney thoughtfully. There was so much she had to say...

Exhaling loudly, she swiftly went to her, taking a seat beside her.

"Since we're both here, we need to talk," she said, taking Britney's hand in her own. "Well, I need to talk."

A concerned look crossed Britney's face, and she shifted around to face her.

"What is it?" she asked curiously.

"Basically, I... I wanted to apologize," she said, her voice low.

Britney sent her a puzzled stare.

"Apologize?" she repeated. "Apologize for what?"

"Because, Brit, I haven't been there for you lately... Adam either. This is probably the time you need support the most, and once again, I've disappeared. I've been a terrible friend," Amy explained, her hazel eyes full of remorse.

"Amy, stop it," Britney replied, shaking her head. "You're a wonderful friend. We've all drifted before, it's no big deal. I haven't exactly been there for my friends lately, either."

Amy sighed, "I guess you're right. But with you and Adam splitting up, all that drama surrounding your angle with Jay, Paul escaping from prison, I've been worried that..."

"What?" Britney cut her off immediately. "Paul what?"

Amy winced, as she suddenly realized that she had said far too much.

"Oh, no," she breathed, "...no one told you..."

"Amy, please tell me you're joking," Britney said, a terrible, sickening feeling rising in her stomach. "That can't be true..."

"Brit, I'm so sorry. It's been all over the news, I assumed you knew."

"Oh my God..." she said, rising from her seat.

Amy frowned deeply as she watched Britney pace back and forth in front of her. Words couldn't describe how low she felt for telling her about Paul. She thought that everyone knew about that.

A pained look marred Britney's face as Amy stood beside her.

"I think I'm gonna pass out," she said, and just like that, she dropped into her friend's arms.


	22. Part 22

**Part 22  
**Stephanie paced quickly in the waiting room, her heart racing. Britney had been taken to a local hospital after she passed out in the locker room. She was fine, and after a few more tests, would be released.

Though she was extremely worried about her cousin's well-being, that was not what had the brunette so frantic. Amy had explained to them why Britney had collapsed, and the news had Stephanie feeling faint as well. She was in shock, total disbelief. Paul was no longer in jail, and nobody had been able to find him. She could only imagine where he vindictive ex-boyfriend was, and what he could be planning. The thought alone that he was roaming the streets once more had her trembling with fear.

"Steph!" a familiar voice called, and the young woman turned to see her brother hurrying towards her.

The second he got wind of what happenede, he had caught the next redeye to them. When he reached his sister, he pulled her into a quick embrace, and then spoke again.

"Are you okay?" he asked worriedly. He could only imagine how she was feeling now that she knew.

"Why didn't you tell me about Paul!" she cried, as though she didn't even hear his question. "You knew, and you didn't tell me!"

"Steph, I'm sorry," he replied, frowning. "I should have told you, but I just... I thought maybe it'd be easier if you heard it from Jay."

"Yeah, right," she snorted, tossing her gaze in her boyfriend's direction. "He never tells me anything anymore."

"Stephanie, that's not true..." he began, hoping to calm his sister down before her temper had a chance to flare. A fight was the last thing they needed. He could tell from the moment he entered that the tension between the two of them was high.

"Stop it," she said bitterly. "Stop pretending like there's nothing wrong with our relationship. Jay and I haven't been the same since months ago. The only thing holding us together is that we don't want to end up like Britney and Adam."

Shane sighed as he studied his sister's fallen expression. Distressed was nowhere near strong enough to describe how she looked.

"I know you guys are in a rough patch right now, but do not get that kind of attitude. He loves you, Steph, and you love him. Don't let this ruin you guys."

"I'm trying, Shane, but let's be real," she replied. "We've been together for so long, it's almost like we're not even together anymore. I know he loves me, but sometimes knowing just isn't enough. Plus, there's just so much shit going on, and here I feel like I've got nobody. Paul has escaped from jail, and I'm scared. And I feel like he doesn't even care... he would have told me if he cared."

A fierce, loathing fire filled Shane's eyes as Stephanie mentioned Paul.

"Don't you worry about Paul," he said, gritting his teeth. "He's going to learn very quickly that things aren't going to go his way this time. But as for Jay, let me talk to him. Maybe I can figure out what's wrong with him."

"Okay..." Stephanie agreed as she glanced over at Jay again, who sat on a nearby couch, his face buried in his hands.

* * *

Adam gazed around his silent, empty hotel room. He felt terribly ill, but he knew he wasn't getting sick. He was in one of those moods. He wanted to sleep, but he knew that wouldn't help in the least. He wanted so badly to be at that hospital right now. Jay told him what happened - Britney fainting upon hearing the news of Paul escaping from jail - and he felt absolutely helpless. He knew something like this would happen when she found out. There was nothing he could do, and he hated it.

"Damn it," he said to himself as he laid down on the bed.

Jay promised to call when Britney was released, but that wasn't enough. He needed to be there with her. He had more than once considered grabbing his keys and going to her, but his judgement made him stay. She was obviously under incredible stress, and as badly as he wanted to see her, he knew he'd only make things worse.

As he stared at the ceiling, he vaguely remembered that he hadn't eaten all day. He rarely ate anymore. In fact, the only reason he ate the little that he did was because his his friends expressed concern when his weight began to drop. He just had no desire to do anything.

The fact of the matter was that he was still madly in love with her. And with each passing day, he forgot why they split in the first place.

His cell phone rang, cutting his thoughts it half. He jumped to answer it, ignoring the 'unavailable number' message displaying on the screen.

"How is she?" he asked immediately.

"Depends on who she is," an all too familiar voice answered.

Adam's eye's popped open, and his stomach dropped form his body. It couldn't be...

"Who is this?" he asked, but he knew. Only one man had such a distinct voice.

"You mean you don't know? Adam, I'm offended," he replied, with a cocky tone that only confirmed Adam's worst fears.

"What do you want, Paul?" he demanded, his voice slightly shaky. "And how did you get my number?"

"Just to chat," he responded casually. "And please, you know me well enough to know that when I want something, I get it. Oh, and I thought I'd send my deepest apologies for you and Britney... it's such a shame things ended so quickly for you."

Adam felt his blood pressure rapidly rising. Paul still had the same effect on him that he always had in the past.

"Tell me what you want, now," he voiced harshly.

"I just figured I'd call to let you know I've been thinking about you... all of you," he said calmly. "Plus, I knew you'd want an update on Britney's condition. I'll have you know, they're both fine."

Just as he expected, Adam followed immediately with, "Both? What is that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, jeez, I thought you knew," Paul said with mock remorse. "I hate to spoil surprises, but your little wife is pregnant. If I were you, I'd..."

Adam ended the call prompty by throwing his phone at the wall, where it instantly went to pieces. It wouldn't be the first phone he had broken. His breathing grew heavy, and he suddenly felt very nauseaus. Pregnant?

At this point, he didn't care that Paul knew his number, or that he knew about Britney... he had to talk to her. He had obviously waited long enough.


	23. Part 23

**A/N:I know, it's been awhile. And this is a relatively short chapter, too. I'm trying, I swear! Some reviews would be nice.**

**Part 23  
**

Shane eyed him from a safe distance for some time before he decided to go over and say something. The hospital had opted to keep Britney there overnight, just for precautionary measures, so everyone had gone back to the hotel.

Everyone except for Jay.

Shane promised Stephanie he would talk to him, and he was not about to go back on his word. He headed over to him, taking a seat in the chair beside him. It didn't take long for Shane to figure out that Jay was totally oblivious to his presence. He waited for a minute, and then loudly cleared his throat, the sudden noise making Jay jump.

"Don't you think you should be getting back to the hotel?" he suggested, pretending to check his watch. "It's late."

"I know," Jay nodded, "but I need to be here."

"For what, Jay?" Shane asked incredulously. "Britney will still be here tomorrow. You should be with Stephanie."

Jay sent Shane a curious stare. He thought he would be happy to see someone stepping up to watch over Britney.

"Steph's fine," he said confidently. "She knows I need to be here, for Brit's sake."

Shane sighed. Only moments into their conversation, he could already see exactly where his sister was coming from. He was paying entirely too much attention to Britney. His expression hardened.

"Thing is, Jay, you don't need to be here. Britney isn't your priority. Awhile back, I asked you to take care of Stephanie for me. And yet you're here, knowing full well that she's at the hotel by herself with Paul Levesque roaming the streets. I honestly cannot believe you're here," Shane said, catching the noticeable wince Jay gave after he heard Paul's name.

The Canadian had been trying his damnedest to forget about Paul being free. He kept telling himself that it was only a matter of time before the authorities caught up with him. They had already done it once before.

"Stephanie doesn't need my help," he told Shane. "She wants to handle this on her own."

Shane stared at him in disbelief.

"Am I supposed to buy that?" he asked. He could feel himself starting to heat up. "What the fuck are you on? Stephanie is scared shitless right now, and you're telling me she wants to handle it alone? For all you know, Paul could be at that hotel right now – do you _really_ believe she wants to handle him on her own?"

Shane's angry remark put vivid imagery into Jay's head. This was exactly how it happened the last time. He left Stephanie unattended, and Paul Levesque raped her. Suddenly it was like the clichéd ton of bricks hit him. What in hell was he thinking?

"Oh my God," he breathed. "What have I done?"

"Managed to severely piss me off," Shane warned. He found Jay very agitating at the moment, but he was pleased that his speech had appeared to push Jay to a realization. "Go back to the hotel, Jay. I really don't feel like beating the shit out of you today."

Jay knew that Shane was stone serious, and so he nodded. He rose from the chair, grimacing as his constricted muscles were given the chance to stretch. With a firm look on his face, he marched past Shane and out of the lobby. He had a girlfriend to protect.

* * *

"Shane, can we _please_ stop talking about this?"

Britney made sure her annoyed groan was plenty loud enough for her cousin to pick up on. From the moment he stepped in the door of her hospital room, he had been questioning her nonstop about the baby. How far along she was, whether or not she had felt faint before, if she had told Adam. If she wasn't in a hospital bed already she would have punched him.

Shane wasn't done discussing the matter, but he did put his hands up in defeat. He knew better than to mess with her.

"Fine, fine," he caved. "Charge the subject."

Britney gave him a satisfied smile as she fidgeted anxiously around the bed. These things had really grown to annoy here. Once she was settled in comfortably, she returned her gaze to him.

"How's Marissa?" she asked curiously.

She absolutely adored Shane's wife. She only wished she could see her more often.

"She's great," Shane smiled. "Things are better than ever… we've started talking about getting one of these for ourselves," he said, patting her tummy, which was still relatively flat.

Her lips spread to a wide grin. Ever since the pair got engaged, Marissa had expressed interest in starting a new family. If things had gone her way, she'd have gotten pregnant just following their wedding. But Shane's schedule never lightened up, and before she knew it three years had passed.

Shane always wanted children… but the business aspect of his life made it nearly impossible. Britney was so excited to hear that they were about ready to start another branch of McMahon's.

"That's wonderful, Shane! I'm sure she's so excited about that," Britney replied. "You two will make terrific parents."

Shane nodded a gracious thank you to his cousin. However, the smile quickly faded away. Though he was excited about his own family, his concern lied more in _hers_.

"That's exactly right. A baby needs two parents," he reasoned. "You have to tell Adam about this, and soon. He has to be a part of this pregnancy and of this child's safety.

Britney sighed… she knew this was coming.

"I would never deny not him the right to be a parent," she said, offended by Shane's insinuation. "I just don't know how I'm supposed to tell him when I haven't even talked to him since I left. He doesn't need to know right now."

"He already knows."

Britney couldn't help but gasp as her gaze shot to the floor, locking with familiar green eyes.


	24. Part 24

**Fight It All Away - Part 24**

Shane's head darted in the direction of the door, recognizing the voice immediately. Still, his jaw dropped slightly when he locked eyes with Adam, who had come to stand in the doorway. Tension rose quickly in the silent room, and before long Shane stood from his seat and took a protective stance in front of the bed. He wasn't sure what to expect. He hadn't even spoken to Adam since he and Britney separated.

When several minutes passed and Adam didn't make a move, Shane approached him, He pushed past Adam and out into the hall, pulling the taller man with him. Once they were out of Britney's sight, Shane glanced up at him.

"What do you want?" he asked, his tone more curious than anything.

Before he replied, Adam put his hands up in retreat. He knew where this was headed.

"I just want to talk to her," he explained calmly. "There's some things we need to straighten out."

Shane continued to eye him skeptically. Mark told him that Adam had been far from himself lately. What if he snapped or something? He couldn't just let him at Britney while she was laying in a hospital bed.

"I don't know if now's the right time to be straigtening things out," he said. "There's no reason to add any more drama."

"I'm not here to cause drama, Shane," Adam spoke sincerely. "And I think it's only fair to say that straightening things out has waited long enough."

Shane rolled his eyes, "Do you honestly think you can waltz in here, talk to her, and have everything be okay? Your relationship is completely fucked up, and you..."

"No shit it's fucked up," Adam cut him off, his voice lowering a bit. "It was real fucked up to find out that not only is my wife pregnant, but everybody kept it a secret from me. It's fucked up that even Paul Levesque knew for me... and that he had to be the one to tell me."

A heavy exhale left Adam as he finished his rant. Though he was still extremely upset, it felt so good to blow off some of the steam. Shane stared at him, eyes wide and jaw dropped. It took him a minute to process the information Adam gave him, and yet another to stomach it.

"Paul..." was all he could say, and even that wasn't spoken coherently.

"You try and figure that one out," Adam told him, his gaze firm. "If you'll excuse me, I have to go talk to Britney."

Shane was in too much shock to even attempt a protest. Of all people in the world, Paul had told Adam? How the hell did he find out? Other than himself, only Chris, Jay, Stephanie, and now, Amy, knew. How on earth could he possibly know?

Shane suddenly found himself dizzy. He walked over to a chair positioned against a wall, his face growing pale. Something was terribly wrong.

* * *

Adam took a deep breath before entering Britney's room, trying to calm his wracked nerves. He knew there was no way he could be as hostile towards her as he was towards Shane. Despite how angry he was for her not telling him that she was expecting a child, he knew he couldn't bear to raise his voice, let alone yell at her for it. He placed his hands on the door, cautiously pushing it open.

The moment he saw her lying in that hospital bed, Adam had vivid flashbacks of her last hospital visit, shortly after Shane was shot by Brock Lesnar. and Britney consequently lost their first baby. The sicening feeling he had that week crept up in his stomach, but he swallowed it. He had to be a man and go talk to her.

From across the room, Britney sent him a helpless look. She exhaled slowly, her breath shaky. "Adam, before you say anything, I..." He placed a hand in the air, cutting her sentence short. He eyed the seat beside her bed - the one Shane had been seated in before his interruption - and then warily sat in it.

"Just let me talk," he told her, his voice surprisingly calm considering the shouting he was doing in the hall. "I'm not here to berate you or threaten you. There's just... there's things I need to say."

"Okay," she nodded, making herself comfortable. "I'm listening."

Adam nodded as well, preparing to give his speech. He was surprised... this was normally the part where his mind went blank. Once she sent him that pitiful look, anything he planned to say would surely be forgotten. But not this time.

He cleared his throat and began to speak, "I understand that we're not together. But there are some things, like this... this, I have the right to know about. I can't tell you how hurt I was to find out on my own, Brit. To know that you were hiding it fromme. Maybe if you had kept it from everyone, it wouldn't hurt so much. But you told people, and in turn forced those people to hide it from me, too. Now, on top of all the other shit, I have to deal with knowing that the few people I still care about have been lying to me." He paused, his gaze slipping from her bed to the floor. He hoped she didn't ask how he found out. "I just want to know how... how you could keep this from me, when you know what having a baby means to me."

Adam's words, though spoken softly, hit her hard. The words themselves were familiar. They were the same ones she heard from Stephanie and Jay since the beginning. Coming directly from his mouth, though, they took on a whole new meaning. She could see the emotion he was trying to shield, and it made her instantly regret her decision. She licked her dry lips, clearing her throat much like he did his.

"I was going to tell you," she said, and Adam knew she was not lying. "I would never deny you the right to be a part of this. It's just so early on... plus I knew things were still awkward between us... I just figured I'd wait."

"Awkward?" he asked her, confused. "We haven't seen each other since the day you left, there's nothing to make things get awkward. I'd take awkward any day over the nothing we have now," he finished his interjection with a sigh. Again, his words stung her heart.

"Adam, I just meant that I'm only a little more than a month pregnant. I was going to tell you in a few months at the very latest," she told him, her eyes locked on him.

The logic didn't seem so reasonable now that she said it to him. Judging by the incredulous look that filled his eyes, she guessed he felt the same. He rose from his chair, a pained expression on his face.

"Why not wait till the baby was born," he muttered. His face grew angry as he looked down at her. "Even better, why not tell me the baby was someone else's? Then you won't have to deal with the terrible awkwardness my presence causes you."

Britney frowned, leaning her body toward the other side of the bed.

"You said you wouldn't berate," she reminded him in a voice so small it was almost inaudible.

Her sad voice struck his heart, and he sighed. He raked a frustrated hand through his hair. Adam sank back into his chair, dropping his head into his hands.

"I'm sorry," he said a minute later, lifting his gaze to hers. "Look, I'm upset that you didn't tell me, okay? I should have been a part of this since day one. I can't believe you'd keep this from me after all we've been through... after what happened last time. I don't want to take a single day for granted."

His subtle reminder was like a slap in the face for Britney. Just the mention of it drew tears to her eyes. Her jaw hung open and she stared at him, a drop slipping from her widened eyes. Adam bit his lip, blinking back the moisture that threatened his own eyes. He had gone too far. He wanted to hug her, and knowing that he couldn't made him feel even worse.

"I should go," he voiced quietly, his head hanging.

Britney bit her quivering lip as Adam once again stood from his seat. She watched him head through the door, his figure blurred through her watery eyes.

"Adam, wait," she called, before he could leave. He turned to face her, his heart sinking. It was all he could do not to run over there and tell her he still loved her. "I'm sorry... for not telling you. I was wrong."

Adam offered her the tiniest of smiles in response, knowing just how difficult the apology must have been. She was a McMahon. If there was anything they hated more than admitting they were wrong, it was saying sorry for it.

Then, he nodded a goodbye, forcing himself to leave her...


End file.
